diff --git a/esphome/components/api/api.proto b/esphome/components/api/api.proto
index daaac63821..c58aabd3c6 100644
--- a/esphome/components/api/api.proto
+++ b/esphome/components/api/api.proto
@@ -2292,7 +2292,7 @@ message ZWaveProxyFrame {
   option (ifdef) = "USE_ZWAVE_PROXY";
   option (no_delay) = true;
 
-  bytes data = 1 [(fixed_array_size) = 257];
+  bytes data = 1 [(pointer_to_buffer) = true];
 }
 
 enum ZWaveProxyRequestType {
diff --git a/esphome/components/api/api_pb2.cpp b/esphome/components/api/api_pb2.cpp
index 4c9ac6ca04..0a6b271fac 100644
--- a/esphome/components/api/api_pb2.cpp
+++ b/esphome/components/api/api_pb2.cpp
@@ -3044,12 +3044,9 @@ bool UpdateCommandRequest::decode_32bit(uint32_t field_id, Proto32Bit value) {
 bool ZWaveProxyFrame::decode_length(uint32_t field_id, ProtoLengthDelimited value) {
   switch (field_id) {
     case 1: {
-      const std::string &data_str = value.as_string();
-      this->data_len = data_str.size();
-      if (this->data_len > 257) {
-        this->data_len = 257;
-      }
-      memcpy(this->data, data_str.data(), this->data_len);
+      // Use raw data directly to avoid allocation
+      this->data = value.data();
+      this->data_len = value.size();
       break;
     }
     default:
diff --git a/esphome/components/api/api_pb2.h b/esphome/components/api/api_pb2.h
index 5d43de4440..b0503b4b7a 100644
--- a/esphome/components/api/api_pb2.h
+++ b/esphome/components/api/api_pb2.h
@@ -2934,11 +2934,11 @@ class UpdateCommandRequest final : public CommandProtoMessage {
 class ZWaveProxyFrame final : public ProtoDecodableMessage {
  public:
   static constexpr uint8_t MESSAGE_TYPE = 128;
-  static constexpr uint8_t ESTIMATED_SIZE = 33;
+  static constexpr uint8_t ESTIMATED_SIZE = 19;
 #ifdef HAS_PROTO_MESSAGE_DUMP
   const char *message_name() const override { return "z_wave_proxy_frame"; }
 #endif
-  uint8_t data[257]{};
+  const uint8_t *data{nullptr};
   uint16_t data_len{0};
   void encode(ProtoWriteBuffer buffer) const override;
   void calculate_size(ProtoSize &size) const override;
diff --git a/esphome/components/zwave_proxy/zwave_proxy.cpp b/esphome/components/zwave_proxy/zwave_proxy.cpp
index a894899dc4..feaf6e2d42 100644
--- a/esphome/components/zwave_proxy/zwave_proxy.cpp
+++ b/esphome/components/zwave_proxy/zwave_proxy.cpp
@@ -106,14 +106,14 @@ void ZWaveProxy::process_uart_() {
       }
       ESP_LOGV(TAG, "Sending to client: %s", YESNO(this->api_connection_ != nullptr));
       if (this->api_connection_ != nullptr) {
-        // minimize copying to reduce CPU overhead
+        // Zero-copy: point directly to our buffer
+        this->outgoing_proto_msg_.data = this->buffer_.data();
         if (this->in_bootloader_) {
           this->outgoing_proto_msg_.data_len = this->buffer_index_;
         } else {
           // If this is a data frame, use frame length indicator + 2 (for SoF + checksum), else assume 1 for ACK/NAK/CAN
           this->outgoing_proto_msg_.data_len = this->buffer_[0] == ZWAVE_FRAME_TYPE_START ? this->buffer_[1] + 2 : 1;
         }
-        std::memcpy(this->outgoing_proto_msg_.data, this->buffer_.data(), this->outgoing_proto_msg_.data_len);
         this->api_connection_->send_message(this->outgoing_proto_msg_, api::ZWaveProxyFrame::MESSAGE_TYPE);
       }
     }
@@ -272,7 +272,9 @@ void ZWaveProxy::parse_start_(uint8_t byte) {
   }
   // Forward response (ACK/NAK/CAN) back to client for processing
   if (this->api_connection_ != nullptr) {
-    this->outgoing_proto_msg_.data[0] = byte;
+    // Store single byte in buffer and point to it
+    this->buffer_[0] = byte;
+    this->outgoing_proto_msg_.data = this->buffer_.data();
     this->outgoing_proto_msg_.data_len = 1;
     this->api_connection_->send_message(this->outgoing_proto_msg_, api::ZWaveProxyFrame::MESSAGE_TYPE);
   }
diff --git a/esphome/components/zwave_proxy/zwave_proxy.h b/esphome/components/zwave_proxy/zwave_proxy.h
index 68bec4e7ce..ea6837888b 100644
--- a/esphome/components/zwave_proxy/zwave_proxy.h
+++ b/esphome/components/zwave_proxy/zwave_proxy.h
@@ -11,6 +11,8 @@
 namespace esphome {
 namespace zwave_proxy {
 
+static constexpr size_t MAX_ZWAVE_FRAME_SIZE = 257;  // Maximum Z-Wave frame size
+
 enum ZWaveResponseTypes : uint8_t {
   ZWAVE_FRAME_TYPE_ACK = 0x06,
   ZWAVE_FRAME_TYPE_CAN = 0x18,
@@ -66,8 +68,8 @@ class ZWaveProxy : public uart::UARTDevice, public Component {
 
   // Pre-allocated message - always ready to send
   api::ZWaveProxyFrame outgoing_proto_msg_;
-  std::array<uint8_t, sizeof(api::ZWaveProxyFrame::data)> buffer_;  // Fixed buffer for incoming data
-  std::array<uint8_t, 4> home_id_{0, 0, 0, 0};                      // Fixed buffer for home ID
+  std::array<uint8_t, MAX_ZWAVE_FRAME_SIZE> buffer_;  // Fixed buffer for incoming data
+  std::array<uint8_t, 4> home_id_{0, 0, 0, 0};        // Fixed buffer for home ID
 
   // Pointers and 32-bit values (aligned together)
   api::APIConnection *api_connection_{nullptr};  // Current subscribed client
diff --git a/requirements.txt b/requirements.txt
index ca3db9821e..4256804722 100644
--- a/requirements.txt
+++ b/requirements.txt
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ platformio==6.1.18  # When updating platformio, also update /docker/Dockerfile
 esptool==5.1.0
 click==8.1.7
 esphome-dashboard==20250904.0
-aioesphomeapi==41.8.0
+aioesphomeapi==41.9.0
 zeroconf==0.147.2
 puremagic==1.30
 ruamel.yaml==0.18.15 # dashboard_import