diff --git a/Doxyfile b/Doxyfile
index a19120b9da3..503979b61eb 100644
--- a/Doxyfile
+++ b/Doxyfile
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ PROJECT_NAME           = ESPHome
 # could be handy for archiving the generated documentation or if some version
 # control system is used.
 
-PROJECT_NUMBER         = 2025.12.0-dev
+PROJECT_NUMBER         = 2026.1.0-dev
 
 # Using the PROJECT_BRIEF tag one can provide an optional one line description
 # for a project that appears at the top of each page and should give viewer a
diff --git a/esphome/components/socket/lwip_raw_tcp_impl.cpp b/esphome/components/socket/lwip_raw_tcp_impl.cpp
index e57af91b778..72009bcc513 100644
--- a/esphome/components/socket/lwip_raw_tcp_impl.cpp
+++ b/esphome/components/socket/lwip_raw_tcp_impl.cpp
@@ -14,6 +14,10 @@
 #include "esphome/core/helpers.h"
 #include "esphome/core/log.h"
 
+#ifdef USE_ESP8266
+#include <coredecls.h>  // For esp_schedule()
+#endif
+
 namespace esphome {
 namespace socket {
 
@@ -473,6 +477,11 @@ class LWIPRawImpl : public Socket {
     } else {
       pbuf_cat(rx_buf_, pb);
     }
+#ifdef USE_ESP8266
+    // Wake the main loop immediately so it can process the received data.
+    // esp_schedule() wakes the context blocked in delay() -> esp_suspend().
+    esp_schedule();
+#endif
     return ERR_OK;
   }
 
@@ -633,6 +642,10 @@ class LWIPRawListenImpl : public LWIPRawImpl {
     sock->init();
     accepted_sockets_[accepted_socket_count_++] = std::move(sock);
     LWIP_LOG("Accepted connection, queue size: %d", accepted_socket_count_);
+#ifdef USE_ESP8266
+    // Wake the main loop immediately so it can accept the new connection.
+    esp_schedule();
+#endif
     return ERR_OK;
   }
 
diff --git a/esphome/const.py b/esphome/const.py
index 8fa2d8da16a..c94ead0be43 100644
--- a/esphome/const.py
+++ b/esphome/const.py
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ from enum import Enum
 
 from esphome.enum import StrEnum
 
-__version__ = "2025.12.0-dev"
+__version__ = "2026.1.0-dev"
 
 ALLOWED_NAME_CHARS = "abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz0123456789-_"
 VALID_SUBSTITUTIONS_CHARACTERS = (