diff --git a/esphome/components/display/display.cpp b/esphome/components/display/display.cpp
index ebc3c0a9f6..53a087803c 100644
--- a/esphome/components/display/display.cpp
+++ b/esphome/components/display/display.cpp
@@ -9,8 +9,7 @@ namespace esphome {
 namespace display {
 static const char *const TAG = "display";
 
-const Color COLOR_OFF(0, 0, 0, 0);
-const Color COLOR_ON(255, 255, 255, 255);
+// COLOR_OFF and COLOR_ON are now inline constexpr in display.h
 
 void Display::fill(Color color) { this->filled_rectangle(0, 0, this->get_width(), this->get_height(), color); }
 void Display::clear() { this->fill(COLOR_OFF); }
diff --git a/esphome/components/display/display.h b/esphome/components/display/display.h
index 47d40915aa..e40f6ec963 100644
--- a/esphome/components/display/display.h
+++ b/esphome/components/display/display.h
@@ -298,9 +298,9 @@ using display_writer_t = DisplayWriter<Display>;
   }
 
 /// Turn the pixel OFF.
-extern const Color COLOR_OFF;
+inline constexpr Color COLOR_OFF(0, 0, 0, 0);
 /// Turn the pixel ON.
-extern const Color COLOR_ON;
+inline constexpr Color COLOR_ON(255, 255, 255, 255);
 
 class BaseImage {
  public: