diff --git a/esphome/components/esp8266/boards.py b/esphome/components/esp8266/boards.py
index 5be8011ba4..d458442dbd 100644
--- a/esphome/components/esp8266/boards.py
+++ b/esphome/components/esp8266/boards.py
@@ -362,14 +362,9 @@ BOARDS = {
 }
 
 
-# Per-board Arduino core build metadata for the native (PlatformIO-free)
-# toolchain: the variant directory (supplies pins_arduino.h) and the
-# board-identity defines the PlatformIO builder passes via build.extra_flags.
-# Valid for platform 4.x only (older tags differ, e.g. esp8285's variant);
-# the native toolchain's validator enforces that pairing by requiring core
-# >= 3.1.1 and rejecting a custom platform_version.
-# -DESP8266 and -DARDUINO_ARCH_ESP8266 are shared by every board and added by
-# the generator; only the per-board defines are listed here.
+# Per-board variant dir + identity defines from platform-espressif8266 4.x
+# build.extra_flags; the shared -DESP8266/-DARDUINO_ARCH_ESP8266 are added
+# by the generator.
 #
 # Regenerate ESP8266_BOARD_BUILD with (v4.2.1 is the platform version the
 # native toolchain mirrors; regenerate against the tag when bumping it):
diff --git a/esphome/components/esp8266/build_surgery.py b/esphome/components/esp8266/build_surgery.py
index 97ce750dd5..2df1d5dbb8 100644
--- a/esphome/components/esp8266/build_surgery.py
+++ b/esphome/components/esp8266/build_surgery.py
@@ -84,8 +84,6 @@ def apply_testing_memory_patches(content: str, segments: Collection[str]) -> str
     """
     for segment in _TESTING_SEGMENT_SIZES:
         if segment not in segments and _segment_line_re(segment).search(content):
-            # A known segment left unpatched would keep its real memory limit
-            # and silently under-provision the testing build
             raise RuntimeError(
                 f"Testing-mode segment {segment} is present in the linker "
                 "script but was not selected for patching"
@@ -111,12 +109,8 @@ def segment_length(content: str, segment_name: str) -> int | None:
 
 
 def surgery_fingerprint() -> str:
-    """Fingerprint of this module's source, covering every behavioral input.
-
-    Linker-script caches include it so an edit here invalidates them; hashing
-    the source over-invalidates on comment edits, which is the safe direction.
-    Native-toolchain-only, like ``segment_length``; no script twin.
-    """
+    """Hash of this module's source; linker-script caches include it so an
+    edit here invalidates them."""
     import inspect
     import sys
 
diff --git a/tests/unit_tests/components/esp8266/test_build_surgery.py b/tests/unit_tests/components/esp8266/test_build_surgery.py
index b1c3fd7be8..411a35eb96 100644
--- a/tests/unit_tests/components/esp8266/test_build_surgery.py
+++ b/tests/unit_tests/components/esp8266/test_build_surgery.py
@@ -2,8 +2,13 @@
 
 from __future__ import annotations
 
+import importlib.util
+from pathlib import Path
+import sys
+
 import pytest
 
+from esphome.components.esp8266 import build_surgery
 from esphome.components.esp8266.boards import BOARDS, ESP8266_BOARD_BUILD
 from esphome.components.esp8266.build_surgery import (
     RATETABLE_RULE,
@@ -110,11 +115,6 @@ def test_board_build_covers_every_board() -> None:
 def test_surgery_fingerprint_is_stable_and_sensitive(tmp_path) -> None:
     """The properties the linker-script cache depends on: the fingerprint is
     stable across calls and changes when the module's source changes."""
-    import importlib.util
-    from pathlib import Path as _Path
-    import sys
-
-    from esphome.components.esp8266 import build_surgery
 
     first = build_surgery.surgery_fingerprint()
     assert first == build_surgery.surgery_fingerprint()
@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@ def test_surgery_fingerprint_is_stable_and_sensitive(tmp_path) -> None:
     # A modified copy of the module must fingerprint differently
     copy = tmp_path / "build_surgery_variant.py"
     copy.write_text(
-        _Path(build_surgery.__file__).read_text(encoding="utf-8")
+        Path(build_surgery.__file__).read_text(encoding="utf-8")
         + "\nEXTRA_BEHAVIORAL_INPUT = 1\n",
         encoding="utf-8",
     )