diff --git a/esphome/core/entity_base.cpp b/esphome/core/entity_base.cpp
index ba5529a29e..a6c702448e 100644
--- a/esphome/core/entity_base.cpp
+++ b/esphome/core/entity_base.cpp
@@ -50,25 +50,22 @@ __attribute__((weak)) const char *entity_device_class_lookup(uint16_t) { return
 __attribute__((weak)) const char *entity_uom_lookup(uint16_t) { return ""; }
 __attribute__((weak)) const char *entity_icon_lookup(uint16_t) { return ""; }
 
-// Entity device class (from packed index)
+// Entity device class (from index)
 StringRef EntityBase::get_device_class_ref() const {
-  return StringRef(
-      entity_device_class_lookup((this->entity_string_packed_ >> ENTITY_STR_DC_SHIFT) & ENTITY_STR_DC_MASK));
+  return StringRef(entity_device_class_lookup(this->device_class_idx_));
 }
 std::string EntityBase::get_device_class() const { return std::string(this->get_device_class_ref().c_str()); }
 
-// Entity unit of measurement (from packed index)
-StringRef EntityBase::get_unit_of_measurement_ref() const {
-  return StringRef(entity_uom_lookup((this->entity_string_packed_ >> ENTITY_STR_UOM_SHIFT) & ENTITY_STR_UOM_MASK));
-}
+// Entity unit of measurement (from index)
+StringRef EntityBase::get_unit_of_measurement_ref() const { return StringRef(entity_uom_lookup(this->uom_idx_)); }
 std::string EntityBase::get_unit_of_measurement() const {
   return std::string(this->get_unit_of_measurement_ref().c_str());
 }
 
-// Entity icon (from packed index)
+// Entity icon (from index)
 StringRef EntityBase::get_icon_ref() const {
 #ifdef USE_ENTITY_ICON
-  return StringRef(entity_icon_lookup((this->entity_string_packed_ >> ENTITY_STR_ICON_SHIFT) & ENTITY_STR_ICON_MASK));
+  return StringRef(entity_icon_lookup(this->icon_idx_));
 #else
   return StringRef(entity_icon_lookup(0));
 #endif
diff --git a/esphome/core/entity_base.h b/esphome/core/entity_base.h
index ccb07a4ed0..e381db2f1b 100644
--- a/esphome/core/entity_base.h
+++ b/esphome/core/entity_base.h
@@ -14,21 +14,12 @@
 
 namespace esphome {
 
-// Extern lookup functions for packed entity string tables.
+// Extern lookup functions for entity string tables.
 // Generated code provides strong definitions; weak defaults return "".
 extern const char *entity_device_class_lookup(uint16_t index);
 extern const char *entity_uom_lookup(uint16_t index);
 extern const char *entity_icon_lookup(uint16_t index);
 
-// Bit layout for entity_string_packed_:
-//   [31..24] reserved | [23..16] icon (8 bits) | [15..8] UoM (8 bits) | [7..0] device_class (8 bits)
-static constexpr uint8_t ENTITY_STR_DC_SHIFT = 0;
-static constexpr uint8_t ENTITY_STR_UOM_SHIFT = 8;
-static constexpr uint8_t ENTITY_STR_ICON_SHIFT = 16;
-static constexpr uint8_t ENTITY_STR_DC_MASK = 0xFF;
-static constexpr uint8_t ENTITY_STR_UOM_MASK = 0xFF;
-static constexpr uint8_t ENTITY_STR_ICON_MASK = 0xFF;
-
 // Maximum device name length - keep in sync with validate_hostname() in esphome/core/config.py
 static constexpr size_t ESPHOME_DEVICE_NAME_MAX_LEN = 31;
 
@@ -104,9 +95,13 @@ class EntityBase {
     this->flags_.entity_category = static_cast<uint8_t>(entity_category);
   }
 
-  // Set packed entity string indices — one call per entity from codegen.
-  // Bit layout: [23..16] icon (8 bits) | [15..8] UoM (8 bits) | [7..0] device_class (8 bits)
-  void set_entity_strings(uint32_t packed) { this->entity_string_packed_ = packed; }
+  // Set entity string table indices — one call per entity from codegen.
+  // Packed: [23..16] icon | [15..8] UoM | [7..0] device_class (each 8 bits)
+  void set_entity_strings(uint32_t packed) {
+    this->device_class_idx_ = packed & 0xFF;
+    this->uom_idx_ = (packed >> 8) & 0xFF;
+    this->icon_idx_ = (packed >> 16) & 0xFF;
+  }
 
   // Get device class as StringRef (from packed index)
   StringRef get_device_class_ref() const;
@@ -199,7 +194,6 @@ class EntityBase {
   void calc_object_id_();
 
   StringRef name_;
-  uint32_t entity_string_packed_{0};  // bits 0-7: device_class, 8-15: uom, 16-23: icon, 24-31: reserved
   uint32_t object_id_hash_{};
 #ifdef USE_DEVICES
   Device *device_{};
@@ -214,6 +208,10 @@ class EntityBase {
     uint8_t entity_category : 2;  // Supports up to 4 categories
     uint8_t reserved : 2;         // Reserved for future use
   } flags_{};
+  // String table indices — packed into the 3 padding bytes after flags_
+  uint8_t device_class_idx_{};
+  uint8_t uom_idx_{};
+  uint8_t icon_idx_{};
 };
 
 /// Log entity icon if set (for use in dump_config)
diff --git a/esphome/core/entity_helpers.py b/esphome/core/entity_helpers.py
index 5623b5b502..c0bb1b1c08 100644
--- a/esphome/core/entity_helpers.py
+++ b/esphome/core/entity_helpers.py
@@ -31,21 +31,16 @@ _KEY_DC_IDX = "_entity_dc_idx"
 _KEY_UOM_IDX = "_entity_uom_idx"
 _KEY_ICON_IDX = "_entity_icon_idx"
 
-# Bit layout for entity_string_packed_ (must match C++ constants in entity_base.h):
-#
-#   uint32_t entity_string_packed_:
-#     [31 ...... 24][23 ...... 16][15 ....... 8][7 ........ 0]
-#      reserved (8)  icon (8)      UoM (8)       device_class (8)
-#                    max 255       max 255        max 255
-#
+# Bit layout for set_entity_strings(packed) — must match C++ setter in entity_base.h:
+#   [23..16] icon (8 bits) | [15..8] UoM (8 bits) | [7..0] device_class (8 bits)
 _DC_SHIFT = 0
 _UOM_SHIFT = 8
 _ICON_SHIFT = 16
 
-# Maximum unique strings per category (must match bit widths above)
-_MAX_DEVICE_CLASSES = 0xFF  # 8 bits → 255
-_MAX_UNITS = 0xFF  # 8 bits → 255
-_MAX_ICONS = 0xFF  # 8 bits → 255
+# Maximum unique strings per category (8-bit index, 0 = not set)
+_MAX_DEVICE_CLASSES = 0xFF  # 255
+_MAX_UNITS = 0xFF  # 255
+_MAX_ICONS = 0xFF  # 255
 
 
 @dataclass