diff --git a/esphome/components/ble_client/ble_client_gatt.cpp b/esphome/components/ble_client/ble_client_gatt.cpp
index c5744b3745..809768fde2 100644
--- a/esphome/components/ble_client/ble_client_gatt.cpp
+++ b/esphome/components/ble_client/ble_client_gatt.cpp
@@ -157,7 +157,11 @@ void BLEClient::on_service_discovery_done(int error) {
   for (auto *node : this->nodes_) {
     node->on_connected(table);
     if (this->state_ != State::CONNECTED) {
-      return;  // A node tore the link down mid-fan-out; the teardown settled.
+      // A node tore the link down mid-fan-out; the teardown settled. Release
+      // the borrowed table here since the normal release below is skipped
+      // (idempotent when the backend released on teardown already).
+      this->backend_->release_services();
+      return;
     }
   }
   this->backend_->release_services();
diff --git a/esphome/components/bluetooth_connection/__init__.py b/esphome/components/bluetooth_connection/__init__.py
index 6c8da1da6e..62ac8be41a 100644
--- a/esphome/components/bluetooth_connection/__init__.py
+++ b/esphome/components/bluetooth_connection/__init__.py
@@ -182,6 +182,16 @@ def _validate_slot_totals(config: ConfigType) -> ConfigType:
     if CORE.testing_mode:
         return config
     if (cap := HUB_MAX_CONNECTIONS.get(CORE.target_platform)) is None:
+        # esp32's budget lives in esp32_ble; any other registered backend
+        # platform must carry a cap here or fail loudly, never fail open.
+        if (
+            CORE.target_platform != PLATFORM_ESP32
+            and CORE.target_platform in _PLATFORM_BACKENDS
+        ):
+            raise cv.Invalid(
+                f"{CORE.target_platform} has a GATT backend but no slot cap "
+                "in HUB_MAX_CONNECTIONS"
+            )
         return config
     claimed = _ledger().consumers
     if len(claimed) > cap: