diff --git a/esphome/components/gt911/touchscreen/gt911_touchscreen.cpp b/esphome/components/gt911/touchscreen/gt911_touchscreen.cpp
index 07dd325a2c..388b8165fd 100644
--- a/esphome/components/gt911/touchscreen/gt911_touchscreen.cpp
+++ b/esphome/components/gt911/touchscreen/gt911_touchscreen.cpp
@@ -24,9 +24,13 @@ static const size_t MAX_BUTTONS = 4;  // max number of buttons scanned
     return; \
   }
 
+// Reset sequence (Goodix GT911 datasheet): INT held low while RST is released selects address 0x5D, then
+// T3 + T4 pass before INT is handed back to the chip as its interrupt output
+static constexpr uint32_t RESET_LOW_MS = 10;
+static constexpr uint32_t RESET_SETTLE_MS = 5 + 50 + 1;
+
 void GT911Touchscreen::setup() {
   if (this->reset_pin_ != nullptr) {
-    // temporarily set the interrupt pin to output to control address selection
     this->reset_pin_->setup();
     this->reset_pin_->digital_write(false);
     if (this->interrupt_pin_ != nullptr) {
@@ -34,20 +38,19 @@ void GT911Touchscreen::setup() {
       this->interrupt_pin_->pin_mode(gpio::FLAG_OUTPUT);
       this->interrupt_pin_->digital_write(false);
     }
-    delay(2);
-    this->reset_pin_->digital_write(true);
-    // wait at least T3+T4 ms as per the datasheet
-    this->set_timeout(5 + 50 + 1, [this] { this->setup_internal_(); });
+    this->set_timeout(RESET_LOW_MS, [this] {
+      this->reset_pin_->digital_write(true);
+      this->set_timeout(RESET_SETTLE_MS, [this] { this->setup_internal_(); });
+    });
     return;
   }
   this->setup_internal_();
 }
 
 void GT911Touchscreen::setup_internal_() {
-  if (this->interrupt_pin_ != nullptr) {
-    if (this->interrupt_pin_->is_internal())
-      this->interrupt_pin_->pin_mode(gpio::FLAG_INPUT);
-  }
+  // Expander pins must leave output mode too, or the chip cannot drive its interrupt line
+  if (this->interrupt_pin_ != nullptr)
+    this->interrupt_pin_->pin_mode(gpio::FLAG_INPUT);
 
   uint8_t data[4];
   i2c::ErrorCode err = this->write(GET_SWITCHES, sizeof(GET_SWITCHES));
@@ -72,7 +75,7 @@ void GT911Touchscreen::setup_internal_() {
           ESP_LOGD(TAG, "Interrupt pin: hardware interrupt, active %s",
                    active_high ? LOG_STR_LITERAL("HIGH") : LOG_STR_LITERAL("LOW"));
         } else {
-          // IO expander pin: leave as output for configuration only.
+          // IO expander pin: no hardware interrupt, the touch state is polled.
           ESP_LOGD(TAG, "Interrupt pin: IO expander polling mode, active %s",
                    active_high ? LOG_STR_LITERAL("HIGH") : LOG_STR_LITERAL("LOW"));
         }
diff --git a/esphome/components/gt911/touchscreen/gt911_touchscreen.h b/esphome/components/gt911/touchscreen/gt911_touchscreen.h
index 465df528e5..13fb6b05da 100644
--- a/esphome/components/gt911/touchscreen/gt911_touchscreen.h
+++ b/esphome/components/gt911/touchscreen/gt911_touchscreen.h
@@ -14,17 +14,8 @@ class GT911ButtonListener {
 
 class GT911Touchscreen final : public touchscreen::Touchscreen, public i2c::I2CDevice {
  public:
-  /// @brief Initialize the GT911 touchscreen.
-  ///
-  /// If @ref reset_pin_ is set, the touchscreen will be hardware reset,
-  /// and the rest of the setup will be scheduled to run 50ms later using @ref set_timeout()
-  /// to allow the device to stabilize after reset.
-  ///
-  /// If @ref interrupt_pin_ is set, it will be temporarily configured during reset
-  /// to control I2C address selection.
-  ///
-  /// After the timeout, or immediately if no reset is performed, @ref setup_internal_()
-  /// is called to complete the initialization.
+  /// With a reset pin the chip is reset with the interrupt pin held low, which selects address 0x5D, and the
+  /// rest of the setup runs from timeouts once the chip is ready. Without one setup_internal_() runs at once.
   void setup() override;
   void dump_config() override;
   bool can_proceed() override { return this->setup_done_; }