diff --git a/esphome/components/web_server_idf/utils.cpp b/esphome/components/web_server_idf/utils.cpp
index d9c43bd6c7..69cfdd15bb 100644
--- a/esphome/components/web_server_idf/utils.cpp
+++ b/esphome/components/web_server_idf/utils.cpp
@@ -55,13 +55,16 @@ optional<std::string> query_key_value(const char *query_url, size_t query_len, c
     return {};
   }
 
-  char val[CONFIG_HTTPD_MAX_URI_LEN + 1];
-  if (httpd_query_key_value(query_url, key, val, query_len) != ESP_OK) {
+  // Value can't exceed query_len. Use small stack buffer for typical values,
+  // heap fallback for long ones (e.g. base64 IR data) to limit stack usage
+  // since callers may also have stack buffers for the query string.
+  SmallBufferWithHeapFallback<128, char> val(query_len);
+  if (httpd_query_key_value(query_url, key, val.get(), query_len) != ESP_OK) {
     return {};
   }
 
-  url_decode(val);
-  return {val};
+  url_decode(val.get());
+  return {val.get()};
 }
 
 bool query_has_key(const char *query_url, size_t query_len, const char *key) {
diff --git a/esphome/components/web_server_idf/web_server_idf.cpp b/esphome/components/web_server_idf/web_server_idf.cpp
index 44ed8f3e8a..04bc89c6cf 100644
--- a/esphome/components/web_server_idf/web_server_idf.cpp
+++ b/esphome/components/web_server_idf/web_server_idf.cpp
@@ -408,7 +408,6 @@ AsyncWebParameter *AsyncWebServerRequest::getParam(const char *name) {
 
 /// Search post_query then URL query with a callback.
 /// Returns first truthy result, or value-initialized default.
-/// Uses stack buffer for URL query to avoid heap allocation.
 template<typename Func>
 static auto search_query_sources(httpd_req_t *req, const std::string &post_query, const char *name, Func func)
     -> decltype(func(nullptr, size_t{0}, name)) {