diff --git a/esphome/components/api/api_pb2_service.cpp b/esphome/components/api/api_pb2_service.cpp
index 37d9e7d3cf..d86cf912db 100644
--- a/esphome/components/api/api_pb2_service.cpp
+++ b/esphome/components/api/api_pb2_service.cpp
@@ -1,9 +1,7 @@
 // This file was automatically generated with a tool.
 // See script/api_protobuf/api_protobuf.py
 #include "api_pb2_service.h"
-#ifdef USE_API
 #include "api_connection.h"
-#endif
 #include "esphome/core/log.h"
 
 namespace esphome::api {
@@ -23,7 +21,6 @@ void APIServerConnectionBase::log_receive_message_(const LogString *name) {
 }
 #endif
 
-#ifdef USE_API
 void APIConnection::read_message_(uint32_t msg_size, uint32_t msg_type, const uint8_t *msg_data) {
   // Check authentication/connection requirements
   switch (msg_type) {
@@ -709,6 +706,5 @@ void APIConnection::read_message_(uint32_t msg_size, uint32_t msg_type, const ui
       break;
   }
 }
-#endif  // USE_API
 
 }  // namespace esphome::api
diff --git a/script/api_protobuf/api_protobuf.py b/script/api_protobuf/api_protobuf.py
index 1e0e872270..5f791c9c6b 100755
--- a/script/api_protobuf/api_protobuf.py
+++ b/script/api_protobuf/api_protobuf.py
@@ -2947,9 +2947,7 @@ namespace esphome::api {
     cpp = FILE_HEADER
     cpp += """\
 #include "api_pb2_service.h"
-#ifdef USE_API
 #include "api_connection.h"
-#endif
 #include "esphome/core/log.h"
 
 namespace esphome::api {
@@ -3057,8 +3055,7 @@ static const char *const TAG = "api.service";
     # can devirtualize and inline the on_* handler calls within the same class.
     # APIConnection declares this method in api_connection.h.
 
-    out = "#ifdef USE_API\n"
-    out += "void APIConnection::read_message_(uint32_t msg_size, uint32_t msg_type, const uint8_t *msg_data) {\n"
+    out = "void APIConnection::read_message_(uint32_t msg_size, uint32_t msg_type, const uint8_t *msg_data) {\n"
 
     # Auth check block before dispatch switch
     out += "  // Check authentication/connection requirements\n"
@@ -3103,7 +3100,6 @@ static const char *const TAG = "api.service";
     out += "      break;\n"
     out += "  }\n"
     out += "}\n"
-    out += "#endif  // USE_API\n"
     cpp += out
     hpp += "};\n"