diff --git a/.github/actions/cache-esp-idf/action.yml b/.github/actions/cache-esp-idf/action.yml
index 58c9b69cd7..38bcc80eb6 100644
--- a/.github/actions/cache-esp-idf/action.yml
+++ b/.github/actions/cache-esp-idf/action.yml
@@ -46,15 +46,25 @@ runs:
     # their own scope / the repo quota (e.g. on a version-bump PR). The
     # ci-cache-write label lets a PR write into its own scope to test the hit path;
     # that costs about 1GB of the repo cache quota per run, so remove it when done.
+    # -slim: bump when prune-esp-idf changes what it removes; a key is never overwritten.
     - name: Cache ESP-IDF install (write on dev)
       if: (github.ref == 'refs/heads/dev' || contains(github.event.pull_request.labels.*.name, 'ci-cache-write')) && inputs.restore-only != 'true'
       uses: actions/cache@27d5ce7f107fe9357f9df03efb73ab90386fccae # v5.0.5
       with:
         path: ~/.esphome-idf
-        key: ${{ runner.os }}-esphome-idf-${{ steps.version.outputs.version }}-py${{ steps.version.outputs.python-version }}
+        key: ${{ runner.os }}-esphome-idf-${{ steps.version.outputs.version }}-py${{ steps.version.outputs.python-version }}-slim
     - name: Cache ESP-IDF install (restore-only off dev)
       if: github.ref != 'refs/heads/dev' && !contains(github.event.pull_request.labels.*.name, 'ci-cache-write') || inputs.restore-only == 'true'
       uses: actions/cache/restore@27d5ce7f107fe9357f9df03efb73ab90386fccae # v5.0.5
       with:
         path: ~/.esphome-idf
-        key: ${{ runner.os }}-esphome-idf-${{ steps.version.outputs.version }}-py${{ steps.version.outputs.python-version }}
+        key: ${{ runner.os }}-esphome-idf-${{ steps.version.outputs.version }}-py${{ steps.version.outputs.python-version }}-slim
+    # Install explicitly so the prune below sees the toolchains on a cache miss
+    # too, instead of the install happening inside the first build step.
+    - name: Install ESP-IDF
+      shell: bash
+      run: |
+        . venv/bin/activate
+        python -c 'from esphome.espidf.framework import check_esp_idf_install; check_esp_idf_install("${{ steps.version.outputs.version }}")'
+    - name: Prune ESP-IDF install
+      uses: ./.github/actions/prune-esp-idf
diff --git a/.github/actions/prune-esp-idf/action.yml b/.github/actions/prune-esp-idf/action.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e0e7c5bd4e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/actions/prune-esp-idf/action.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+name: Prune ESP-IDF install
+description: >
+  Remove the picolibc sysroots (1.1GB of the 3.9GB install) from the native
+  ESP-IDF toolchains; IDF 5.x links newlib. Skipped when an IDF 6 install is
+  present, which links picolibc (see esp32/__init__.py).
+runs:
+  using: composite
+  steps:
+    - name: Prune picolibc
+      shell: bash
+      run: |
+        shopt -s nullglob
+        prefix="${ESPHOME_ESP_IDF_PREFIX:-$HOME/.esphome-idf}"
+        prefix="${prefix/#\~/$HOME}"
+        for fw in "$prefix"/frameworks/*/; do
+          case "$(basename "$fw")" in
+            [6-9].*) echo "IDF $(basename "$fw") installed, keeping picolibc"; exit 0 ;;
+          esac
+        done
+        n=0
+        for dir in "$prefix"/tools/*-esp-elf/*/*-esp-elf/picolibc; do
+          echo "Removing $dir ($(du -sh "$dir" | cut -f1))"
+          rm -rf "$dir"
+          n=$((n + 1))
+        done
+        # The marker rides along in the cache entry so a restored slim tree stays quiet.
+        if [ "$n" -gt 0 ]; then
+          touch "$prefix/.picolibc-pruned"
+        elif [ -d "$prefix/tools" ] && [ ! -f "$prefix/.picolibc-pruned" ]; then
+          echo "::warning::no picolibc sysroots matched under $prefix/tools"
+        fi
+        if [ -d "$prefix" ]; then
+          du -sh "$prefix"
+        fi
diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index 13168d2ea2..c86377fbab 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -734,6 +734,10 @@ jobs:
           # Also cache libdeps, store them in a ~/.platformio subfolder
           PLATFORMIO_LIBDEPS_DIR: ~/.platformio/libdeps
 
+      - name: Prune ESP-IDF install before cache save
+        if: matrix.cache_idf && (github.ref == 'refs/heads/dev' || contains(github.event.pull_request.labels.*.name, 'ci-cache-write'))
+        uses: ./.github/actions/prune-esp-idf
+
       - name: Suggested changes
         run: script/ci-suggest-changes ${{ matrix.ignore_errors && '|| true' || '' }}
         # yamllint disable-line rule:line-length
@@ -805,6 +809,10 @@ jobs:
           # Also cache libdeps, store them in a ~/.platformio subfolder
           PLATFORMIO_LIBDEPS_DIR: ~/.platformio/libdeps
 
+      - name: Prune ESP-IDF install before cache save
+        if: (github.ref == 'refs/heads/dev' || contains(github.event.pull_request.labels.*.name, 'ci-cache-write'))
+        uses: ./.github/actions/prune-esp-idf
+
       - name: Suggested changes
         run: script/ci-suggest-changes
         if: always()
@@ -889,6 +897,10 @@ jobs:
           # Also cache libdeps, store them in a ~/.platformio subfolder
           PLATFORMIO_LIBDEPS_DIR: ~/.platformio/libdeps
 
+      - name: Prune ESP-IDF install before cache save
+        if: (github.ref == 'refs/heads/dev' || contains(github.event.pull_request.labels.*.name, 'ci-cache-write'))
+        uses: ./.github/actions/prune-esp-idf
+
       - name: Suggested changes
         run: script/ci-suggest-changes
         if: always()
@@ -980,6 +992,10 @@ jobs:
             script/clang-tidy --fix --changed ${{ matrix.options }}
           fi
 
+      - name: Prune ESP-IDF install before cache save
+        if: (github.ref == 'refs/heads/dev' || contains(github.event.pull_request.labels.*.name, 'ci-cache-write'))
+        uses: ./.github/actions/prune-esp-idf
+
       - name: Suggested changes
         run: script/ci-suggest-changes
         if: always()