diff --git a/esphome/components/api/api_connection.cpp b/esphome/components/api/api_connection.cpp
index f599993620..4bc3c9b307 100644
--- a/esphome/components/api/api_connection.cpp
+++ b/esphome/components/api/api_connection.cpp
@@ -230,7 +230,17 @@ void APIConnection::loop() {
       this->log_client_(ESPHOME_LOG_LEVEL_WARN, LOG_STR("is unresponsive; disconnecting"));
     }
   } else if (now - this->last_traffic_ > KEEPALIVE_TIMEOUT_MS && !this->flags_.remove) {
-    this->send_keepalive_ping_();
+    // Only send ping if we're not disconnecting
+    ESP_LOGVV(TAG, "Sending keepalive PING");
+    PingRequest req;
+    this->flags_.sent_ping = this->send_message(req, PingRequest::MESSAGE_TYPE);
+    if (!this->flags_.sent_ping) {
+      // If we can't send the ping request directly (tx_buffer full),
+      // schedule it at the front of the batch so it will be sent with priority
+      ESP_LOGW(TAG, "Buffer full, ping queued");
+      this->schedule_message_front_(nullptr, PingRequest::MESSAGE_TYPE, PingRequest::ESTIMATED_SIZE);
+      this->flags_.sent_ping = true;  // Mark as sent to avoid scheduling multiple pings
+    }
   }
 
 #ifdef USE_API_HOMEASSISTANT_STATES
@@ -246,20 +256,6 @@ void APIConnection::loop() {
 #endif
 }
 
-void APIConnection::send_keepalive_ping_() {
-  // Only send ping if we're not disconnecting
-  ESP_LOGVV(TAG, "Sending keepalive PING");
-  PingRequest req;
-  this->flags_.sent_ping = this->send_message(req, PingRequest::MESSAGE_TYPE);
-  if (!this->flags_.sent_ping) {
-    // If we can't send the ping request directly (tx_buffer full),
-    // schedule it at the front of the batch so it will be sent with priority
-    ESP_LOGW(TAG, "Buffer full, ping queued");
-    this->schedule_message_front_(nullptr, PingRequest::MESSAGE_TYPE, PingRequest::ESTIMATED_SIZE);
-    this->flags_.sent_ping = true;  // Mark as sent to avoid scheduling multiple pings
-  }
-}
-
 void APIConnection::process_active_iterator_() {
   // Caller ensures active_iterator_ != NONE
   if (this->active_iterator_ == ActiveIterator::LIST_ENTITIES) {
diff --git a/esphome/components/api/api_connection.h b/esphome/components/api/api_connection.h
index 1a2f5c70d5..d3d09a01c8 100644
--- a/esphome/components/api/api_connection.h
+++ b/esphome/components/api/api_connection.h
@@ -370,10 +370,6 @@ class APIConnection final : public APIServerConnectionBase {
     return this->client_supports_api_version(1, 14) ? MAX_INITIAL_PER_BATCH : MAX_INITIAL_PER_BATCH_LEGACY;
   }
 
-  // Send keepalive ping — extracted from loop() as noinline since it only fires
-  // once per keepalive interval (~60s), keeping the cold code out of the hot path.
-  void __attribute__((noinline)) send_keepalive_ping_();
-
   // Process active iterator (list_entities/initial_state) during connection setup.
   // Extracted from loop() — only runs during initial handshake, NONE in steady state.
   void __attribute__((noinline)) process_active_iterator_();