diff --git a/esphome/components/light/light_json_schema.cpp b/esphome/components/light/light_json_schema.cpp
index aaa1176f9f..8624fade16 100644
--- a/esphome/components/light/light_json_schema.cpp
+++ b/esphome/components/light/light_json_schema.cpp
@@ -131,6 +131,13 @@ void LightJSONSchema::parse_color_json(LightState &state, LightCall &call, JsonO
     call.set_white(float(root[ESPHOME_F("white_value")]) / 255.0f);
   }
 
+  if (root[ESPHOME_F("white")].is<uint8_t>()) {
+    // White stays full because ESPHome multiplies brightness and white
+    call.set_color_mode_if_supported(ColorMode::WHITE);
+    call.set_brightness(float(root[ESPHOME_F("white")]) / 255.0f);
+    call.set_white(1.0f);
+  }
+
   if (root[ESPHOME_F("color_temp")].is<uint16_t>()) {
     call.set_color_temperature(float(root[ESPHOME_F("color_temp")]));
   }
diff --git a/tests/components/light/__init__.py b/tests/components/light/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..219b61dbf5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/components/light/__init__.py
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+import esphome.codegen as cg
+from tests.testing_helpers import ComponentManifestOverride
+
+
+def override_manifest(manifest: ComponentManifestOverride) -> None:
+    # Enables light_json_schema.cpp without USE_MQTT, which pulls mqtt code into core/util.cpp
+    async def to_code_testing(config):
+        cg.add_define("USE_WEBSERVER")
+
+    manifest.to_code = to_code_testing
+    manifest.dependencies = manifest.dependencies + ["json"]
diff --git a/tests/components/light/test_light_json_schema.cpp b/tests/components/light/test_light_json_schema.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..d7eb9ca56f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/components/light/test_light_json_schema.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,74 @@
+#include <gtest/gtest.h>
+
+#include "esphome/components/json/json_util.h"
+#include "esphome/components/light/light_call.h"
+#include "esphome/components/light/light_json_schema.h"
+#include "esphome/components/light/light_output.h"
+#include "esphome/components/light/light_state.h"
+
+namespace esphome::light::testing {
+
+namespace {
+
+// An `rgbw` light with `color_interlock: true`
+class InterlockedRgbwOutput : public LightOutput {
+ public:
+  LightTraits get_traits() override {
+    LightTraits traits;
+    traits.set_supported_color_modes({ColorMode::RGB, ColorMode::WHITE});
+    return traits;
+  }
+  void write_state(LightState *state) override {}
+};
+
+class TestableLightCall : public LightCall {
+ public:
+  using LightCall::LightCall;
+  using LightCall::validate_;
+};
+
+LightColorValues parse(LightState &state, const char *payload) {
+  TestableLightCall call(&state);
+  json::parse_json(payload, [&](JsonObject root) {
+    LightJSONSchema::parse_json(state, call, root);
+    return true;
+  });
+  return call.validate_();
+}
+
+}  // namespace
+
+// HA's MQTT JSON schema selects the white color mode with a top-level `white` key
+TEST(LightJSONSchema, TopLevelWhiteSelectsWhiteMode) {
+  InterlockedRgbwOutput output;
+  LightState state(&output);
+  state.remote_values.set_color_mode(ColorMode::RGB);
+
+  auto values = parse(state, R"({"state":"ON","white":128})");
+
+  EXPECT_EQ(values.get_color_mode(), ColorMode::WHITE);
+  EXPECT_FLOAT_EQ(values.get_brightness(), 128.0f / 255.0f);
+  EXPECT_FLOAT_EQ(values.get_white(), 1.0f);
+}
+
+TEST(LightJSONSchema, TopLevelWhiteOverridesBrightness) {
+  InterlockedRgbwOutput output;
+  LightState state(&output);
+
+  auto values = parse(state, R"({"state":"ON","brightness":255,"white":128})");
+
+  EXPECT_EQ(values.get_color_mode(), ColorMode::WHITE);
+  EXPECT_FLOAT_EQ(values.get_brightness(), 128.0f / 255.0f);
+}
+
+TEST(LightJSONSchema, ColorWStillSetsWhite) {
+  InterlockedRgbwOutput output;
+  LightState state(&output);
+
+  auto values = parse(state, R"({"state":"ON","color":{"w":255}})");
+
+  EXPECT_EQ(values.get_color_mode(), ColorMode::WHITE);
+  EXPECT_FLOAT_EQ(values.get_white(), 1.0f);
+}
+
+}  // namespace esphome::light::testing