diff --git a/esphome/components/api/api_connection.h b/esphome/components/api/api_connection.h
index 841aa55423..4ce1335650 100644
--- a/esphome/components/api/api_connection.h
+++ b/esphome/components/api/api_connection.h
@@ -44,18 +44,22 @@ static constexpr size_t MAX_INITIAL_PER_BATCH = 34;         // For clients >= AP
 static_assert(MAX_MESSAGES_PER_BATCH >= MAX_INITIAL_PER_BATCH,
               "MAX_MESSAGES_PER_BATCH must be >= MAX_INITIAL_PER_BATCH");
 
+#ifdef USE_BENCHMARK
 class APIConnection;
-void bench_enable_immediate_send(APIConnection *conn);  // tests/benchmarks
-void bench_clear_batch(APIConnection *conn);            // tests/benchmarks
-void bench_process_batch(APIConnection *conn);          // tests/benchmarks
+void bench_enable_immediate_send(APIConnection *conn);
+void bench_clear_batch(APIConnection *conn);
+void bench_process_batch(APIConnection *conn);
+#endif
 
 class APIConnection final : public APIServerConnectionBase {
  public:
   friend class APIServer;
   friend class ListEntitiesIterator;
+#ifdef USE_BENCHMARK
   friend void bench_enable_immediate_send(APIConnection *conn);
   friend void bench_clear_batch(APIConnection *conn);
   friend void bench_process_batch(APIConnection *conn);
+#endif
   APIConnection(std::unique_ptr<socket::Socket> socket, APIServer *parent);
   ~APIConnection();