diff --git a/esphome/components/api/api_server.cpp b/esphome/components/api/api_server.cpp
index ed97c3b9a2..c56449455d 100644
--- a/esphome/components/api/api_server.cpp
+++ b/esphome/components/api/api_server.cpp
@@ -211,7 +211,7 @@ void APIServer::loop() {
 
 #ifdef USE_API_CLIENT_DISCONNECTED_TRIGGER
     // Fire trigger after client is removed so api.connected reflects the true state
-    this->client_disconnected_trigger_->trigger(client_name, client_peername);
+    this->client_disconnected_trigger_.trigger(client_name, client_peername);
 #endif
     // Don't increment client_index since we need to process the swapped element
   }
diff --git a/esphome/components/api/api_server.h b/esphome/components/api/api_server.h
index 93421ef801..6ab3cdc576 100644
--- a/esphome/components/api/api_server.h
+++ b/esphome/components/api/api_server.h
@@ -227,12 +227,10 @@ class APIServer : public Component,
 #endif
 
 #ifdef USE_API_CLIENT_CONNECTED_TRIGGER
-  Trigger<std::string, std::string> *get_client_connected_trigger() const { return this->client_connected_trigger_; }
+  Trigger<std::string, std::string> *get_client_connected_trigger() { return &this->client_connected_trigger_; }
 #endif
 #ifdef USE_API_CLIENT_DISCONNECTED_TRIGGER
-  Trigger<std::string, std::string> *get_client_disconnected_trigger() const {
-    return this->client_disconnected_trigger_;
-  }
+  Trigger<std::string, std::string> *get_client_disconnected_trigger() { return &this->client_disconnected_trigger_; }
 #endif
 
  protected:
@@ -253,10 +251,10 @@ class APIServer : public Component,
   // Pointers and pointer-like types first (4 bytes each)
   std::unique_ptr<socket::Socket> socket_ = nullptr;
 #ifdef USE_API_CLIENT_CONNECTED_TRIGGER
-  Trigger<std::string, std::string> *client_connected_trigger_ = new Trigger<std::string, std::string>();
+  Trigger<std::string, std::string> client_connected_trigger_;
 #endif
 #ifdef USE_API_CLIENT_DISCONNECTED_TRIGGER
-  Trigger<std::string, std::string> *client_disconnected_trigger_ = new Trigger<std::string, std::string>();
+  Trigger<std::string, std::string> client_disconnected_trigger_;
 #endif
 
   // 4-byte aligned types