diff --git a/esphome/core/component.h b/esphome/core/component.h
index 5fdf23e128..64f9971627 100644
--- a/esphome/core/component.h
+++ b/esphome/core/component.h
@@ -594,12 +594,17 @@ class WarnIfComponentBlockingGuard {
   // Inlined: the fast path is just millis() + subtract + compare
   inline uint32_t HOT finish() {
     uint32_t curr_time = millis();
-    uint32_t blocking_time = curr_time - this->started_;
 #ifdef USE_RUNTIME_STATS
     this->record_runtime_stats_();
 #endif
-    if (blocking_time > WARN_IF_BLOCKING_OVER_MS) [[unlikely]] {
-      warn_blocking(this->component_, blocking_time);
+    // Guard against underflow: if curr_time < started_, the subtraction wraps
+    // to a huge value. This can happen when the scheduler passes a `now` value
+    // slightly ahead of real millis() (e.g. from execute_item_ return values).
+    if (curr_time >= this->started_) [[likely]] {
+      uint32_t blocking_time = curr_time - this->started_;
+      if (blocking_time > WARN_IF_BLOCKING_OVER_MS) [[unlikely]] {
+        warn_blocking(this->component_, blocking_time);
+      }
     }
     return curr_time;
   }
diff --git a/tests/benchmarks/core/bench_scheduler.cpp b/tests/benchmarks/core/bench_scheduler.cpp
index 1b78c44376..160ab3c123 100644
--- a/tests/benchmarks/core/bench_scheduler.cpp
+++ b/tests/benchmarks/core/bench_scheduler.cpp
@@ -67,21 +67,16 @@ static void Scheduler_Call_5IntervalsFiring(benchmark::State &state) {
   int fire_count = 0;
 
   // Add 5 intervals with 1ms period — they fire every call when time advances.
-  // No inner loop needed: 5 heap pops + 5 callbacks + 5 heap pushes per call
-  // is well above CodSpeed's ~60ns instrumentation overhead.
+  // We use monotonically increasing fake time (now++) so intervals reliably fire.
+  // The underflow guard in WarnIfComponentBlockingGuard::finish() (curr_time >= started_)
+  // prevents warn_blocking from firing when fake time exceeds real millis().
   // Note: interval=0 causes infinite loop (reschedules at same now, never breaks).
   for (int i = 0; i < 5; i++) {
     scheduler.set_interval(&dummy_component, static_cast<uint32_t>(i), 1, [&fire_count]() { fire_count++; });
   }
   scheduler.process_to_add();
 
-  // Monotonically increasing fake time so intervals are due every call.
-  // Can't use real millis() — it doesn't advance fast enough between calls.
-  // Warm-up call outside the benchmark to trigger the blocking guard once
-  // and ramp the component's warn_if_blocking_over_ threshold to max.
   uint32_t now = millis() + 100;
-  scheduler.call(now);
-  now++;
 
   for (auto _ : state) {
     scheduler.call(now);