diff --git a/esphome/core/application.h b/esphome/core/application.h
index b91bc187e6f..f9f98a67070 100644
--- a/esphome/core/application.h
+++ b/esphome/core/application.h
@@ -390,6 +390,7 @@ class Application {
   friend Component;
   friend class Scheduler;
   friend class LoopBlockingGuard;
+  friend class UnavoidableBlockingScope;
 #ifdef USE_RUNTIME_STATS
   friend class runtime_stats::RuntimeStatsCollector;
 #endif
@@ -632,6 +633,38 @@ class LoopBlockingGuard {
   static void __attribute__((noinline, cold)) warn_blocking(uint32_t blocking_time);
 };
 
+/// Leaves a stretch of the current loop pass out of the blocking warning.
+///
+/// Only for work that cannot be made shorter or split across passes: radio
+/// bring-up, a first network connect, a key generation. Work that could be
+/// cached, deferred, polled or turned into a state machine stays outside, so
+/// the warning keeps finding it.
+///
+/// Affects only work timed by LoopBlockingGuard: loop() and scheduler
+/// callbacks, not setup(). Main loop task only. The watchdog is not fed, so
+/// pair long work with watchdog::WatchdogManager. Scopes may nest.
+/// Afterwards App.get_loop_component_start_time() can be earlier than a
+/// millis() read taken before the scope; time the work with millis() at both ends.
+///
+///   UnavoidableBlockingScope scope;
+///   this->generate_key_();
+class UnavoidableBlockingScope {
+ public:
+  UnavoidableBlockingScope() : started_(MillisInternal::get()), pass_start_(App.get_loop_component_start_time()) {}
+  ~UnavoidableBlockingScope() {
+    // Move the pass start seen at entry forward by the time spent here, clamped to now
+    const uint32_t now = MillisInternal::get();
+    const uint32_t moved = this->pass_start_ + (now - this->started_);
+    App.set_loop_component_start_time_(static_cast<int32_t>(now - moved) < 0 ? now : moved);
+  }
+  UnavoidableBlockingScope(const UnavoidableBlockingScope &) = delete;
+  UnavoidableBlockingScope &operator=(const UnavoidableBlockingScope &) = delete;
+
+ private:
+  uint32_t started_;
+  uint32_t pass_start_;
+};
+
 // Phase A: drain wake notifications and run the scheduler. Invoked on every
 // Application::loop() tick regardless of whether a component phase runs, so
 // scheduler items fire at their requested cadence even when the caller has
diff --git a/esphome/core/millis_internal.h b/esphome/core/millis_internal.h
index 7297d223572..c9b84540780 100644
--- a/esphome/core/millis_internal.h
+++ b/esphome/core/millis_internal.h
@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@ class MillisInternal {
   }
   friend class Application;
   friend class LoopBlockingGuard;
+  friend class UnavoidableBlockingScope;
 };
 
 }  // namespace esphome
diff --git a/tests/components/core/test_blocking_scope.cpp b/tests/components/core/test_blocking_scope.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..8bdeec19ea2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/components/core/test_blocking_scope.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,103 @@
+#include <gtest/gtest.h>
+
+#include "esphome/core/application.h"
+#include "esphome/core/hal.h"
+
+namespace esphome {
+
+// The scope must push the pass start forward by the time it covers and by
+// nothing else, so the blocking guard sees only the work outside it
+TEST(UnavoidableBlockingScope, ExcludesItsDurationFromThePass) {
+  const uint32_t pass_start = millis();
+  LoopBlockingGuard guard(nullptr, nullptr, pass_start);
+  ASSERT_EQ(App.get_loop_component_start_time(), pass_start);
+
+  const uint32_t before = millis();
+  {
+    UnavoidableBlockingScope scope;
+    delay(30);
+  }
+  const uint32_t excused = millis() - before;
+
+  const uint32_t moved = App.get_loop_component_start_time() - pass_start;
+  EXPECT_GE(moved, 30u);
+  EXPECT_LE(moved, excused);
+}
+
+TEST(UnavoidableBlockingScope, ZeroLengthScopeLeavesTheStartAlone) {
+  const uint32_t pass_start = millis();
+  LoopBlockingGuard guard(nullptr, nullptr, pass_start);
+  const uint32_t before = millis();
+  { UnavoidableBlockingScope scope; }
+  EXPECT_LE(App.get_loop_component_start_time() - pass_start, millis() - before);
+}
+
+// Nested scopes leave out the outer span exactly once, and never move the
+// start past now
+TEST(UnavoidableBlockingScope, NestedScopesExcuseTheOuterSpanOnce) {
+  const uint32_t pass_start = millis();
+  LoopBlockingGuard guard(nullptr, nullptr, pass_start);
+  const uint32_t before = millis();
+  {
+    UnavoidableBlockingScope outer;
+    {
+      UnavoidableBlockingScope inner;
+      delay(30);
+    }
+    delay(5);
+  }
+  const uint32_t excused = millis() - before;
+  const uint32_t moved = App.get_loop_component_start_time() - pass_start;
+  EXPECT_GE(moved, 35u);
+  EXPECT_LE(moved, excused);
+  EXPECT_GE(static_cast<int32_t>(millis() - App.get_loop_component_start_time()), 0);
+}
+
+namespace {
+// Static: the guard publishes the component to App and nothing clears it.
+// One instance per test, since a ratcheted threshold is permanent
+class DummyComponent : public Component {};
+DummyComponent &blocking_test_component(size_t index) {
+  static DummyComponent components[2];
+  return components[index];
+}
+}  // namespace
+
+// The excused stretch must neither warn nor ratchet the component's threshold
+TEST(UnavoidableBlockingScope, ExcusedStretchDoesNotRatchetTheThreshold) {
+  DummyComponent &component = blocking_test_component(0);
+  uint32_t threshold_before = 0;
+  component.should_warn_of_blocking(0, threshold_before);
+  {
+    LoopBlockingGuard guard(&component, nullptr, millis());
+    {
+      UnavoidableBlockingScope scope;
+      delay(WARN_IF_BLOCKING_OVER_CS * 10U + 20);
+    }
+    guard.finish();
+  }
+  uint32_t threshold_after = 0;
+  component.should_warn_of_blocking(0, threshold_after);
+  EXPECT_EQ(threshold_after, threshold_before);
+}
+
+// Work outside the scope is still measured and still ratchets
+TEST(UnavoidableBlockingScope, WorkOutsideTheScopeStillRatchetsTheThreshold) {
+  DummyComponent &component = blocking_test_component(1);
+  uint32_t threshold_before = 0;
+  component.should_warn_of_blocking(0, threshold_before);
+  {
+    LoopBlockingGuard guard(&component, nullptr, millis());
+    {
+      UnavoidableBlockingScope scope;
+      delay(20);
+    }
+    delay(WARN_IF_BLOCKING_OVER_CS * 10U + 20);
+    guard.finish();
+  }
+  uint32_t threshold_after = 0;
+  component.should_warn_of_blocking(0, threshold_after);
+  EXPECT_GT(threshold_after, threshold_before);
+}
+
+}  // namespace esphome