diff --git a/esphome/components/mdns/mdns_component.h b/esphome/components/mdns/mdns_component.h
index 74fa24fdba..32f8f16ec1 100644
--- a/esphome/components/mdns/mdns_component.h
+++ b/esphome/components/mdns/mdns_component.h
@@ -45,11 +45,7 @@ class MDNSComponent : public Component {
   void setup() override;
   void dump_config() override;
 
-#if (defined(USE_ESP8266) || defined(USE_RP2040)) && defined(USE_ARDUINO)
-  void loop() override;
-#endif
-
-  // Throttle interval for MDNS.update() on platforms that require polling (ESP8266, RP2040).
+  // Polling interval for MDNS.update() on platforms that require it (ESP8266, RP2040).
   //
   // On these platforms, MDNS.update() calls _process(true) which only manages timer-driven
   // state machines (probe/announce timeouts and service query cache TTLs). Incoming mDNS
@@ -59,13 +55,17 @@ class MDNSComponent : public Component {
   // The shortest internal timer is the 250ms probe interval (RFC 6762 Section 8.1).
   // Announcement intervals are 1000ms and cache TTL checks are on the order of seconds
   // to minutes. A 50ms polling interval provides sufficient resolution for all timers
-  // while reducing CPU overhead by ~84% compared to calling every loop iteration.
+  // while completely removing mDNS from the per-iteration loop list.
   //
   // In steady state (after the ~8 second boot probe/announce phase completes), update()
   // checks timers that are set to never expire, making every call pure overhead.
   //
   // Tasmota uses a 50ms main loop cycle with mDNS working correctly, confirming this
   // interval is safe in production.
+  //
+  // By using set_interval() instead of overriding loop(), the component is excluded from
+  // the main loop list via has_overridden_loop(), eliminating all per-iteration overhead
+  // including virtual dispatch.
   static constexpr uint32_t MDNS_UPDATE_INTERVAL_MS = 50;
   float get_setup_priority() const override { return setup_priority::AFTER_CONNECTION; }
 
@@ -129,9 +129,6 @@ class MDNSComponent : public Component {
 #endif
 #ifdef USE_MDNS_STORE_SERVICES
   StaticVector<MDNSService, MDNS_SERVICE_COUNT> services_{};
-#endif
-#if (defined(USE_ESP8266) || defined(USE_RP2040)) && defined(USE_ARDUINO)
-  uint32_t last_update_{0};
 #endif
   void compile_records_(StaticVector<MDNSService, MDNS_SERVICE_COUNT> &services, char *mac_address_buf);
 };
diff --git a/esphome/components/mdns/mdns_esp8266.cpp b/esphome/components/mdns/mdns_esp8266.cpp
index e23e82954e..295a408cbd 100644
--- a/esphome/components/mdns/mdns_esp8266.cpp
+++ b/esphome/components/mdns/mdns_esp8266.cpp
@@ -36,18 +36,13 @@ static void register_esp8266(MDNSComponent *, StaticVector<MDNSService, MDNS_SER
   }
 }
 
-void MDNSComponent::setup() { this->setup_buffers_and_register_(register_esp8266); }
-
-void MDNSComponent::loop() {
-  // Throttle MDNS.update() to avoid calling it every loop iteration (~120 Hz).
-  // The update() function only manages timer-driven probe/announce state machines
-  // and service query cache TTLs. Incoming mDNS packets are processed independently
-  // via the lwIP onRx callback and do not depend on update() frequency.
-  const uint32_t now = App.get_loop_component_start_time();
-  if (now - this->last_update_ < MDNS_UPDATE_INTERVAL_MS)
-    return;
-  this->last_update_ = now;
-  MDNS.update();
+void MDNSComponent::setup() {
+  this->setup_buffers_and_register_(register_esp8266);
+  // Schedule MDNS.update() via set_interval() instead of overriding loop().
+  // This removes the component from the per-iteration loop list entirely,
+  // eliminating virtual dispatch overhead on every main loop cycle.
+  // See MDNS_UPDATE_INTERVAL_MS comment in mdns_component.h for safety analysis.
+  this->set_interval(MDNS_UPDATE_INTERVAL_MS, []() { MDNS.update(); });
 }
 
 void MDNSComponent::on_shutdown() {
diff --git a/esphome/components/mdns/mdns_rp2040.cpp b/esphome/components/mdns/mdns_rp2040.cpp
index 19d9b12497..05d991c1fa 100644
--- a/esphome/components/mdns/mdns_rp2040.cpp
+++ b/esphome/components/mdns/mdns_rp2040.cpp
@@ -35,18 +35,13 @@ static void register_rp2040(MDNSComponent *, StaticVector<MDNSService, MDNS_SERV
   }
 }
 
-void MDNSComponent::setup() { this->setup_buffers_and_register_(register_rp2040); }
-
-void MDNSComponent::loop() {
-  // Throttle MDNS.update() to avoid calling it every loop iteration (~120 Hz).
-  // The update() function only manages timer-driven probe/announce state machines
-  // and service query cache TTLs. Incoming mDNS packets are processed independently
-  // via the lwIP onRx callback and do not depend on update() frequency.
-  const uint32_t now = App.get_loop_component_start_time();
-  if (now - this->last_update_ < MDNS_UPDATE_INTERVAL_MS)
-    return;
-  this->last_update_ = now;
-  MDNS.update();
+void MDNSComponent::setup() {
+  this->setup_buffers_and_register_(register_rp2040);
+  // Schedule MDNS.update() via set_interval() instead of overriding loop().
+  // This removes the component from the per-iteration loop list entirely,
+  // eliminating virtual dispatch overhead on every main loop cycle.
+  // See MDNS_UPDATE_INTERVAL_MS comment in mdns_component.h for safety analysis.
+  this->set_interval(MDNS_UPDATE_INTERVAL_MS, []() { MDNS.update(); });
 }
 
 void MDNSComponent::on_shutdown() {