diff --git a/esphome/components/uart/__init__.py b/esphome/components/uart/__init__.py
index 7b0d9726b8..a1c78dd45c 100644
--- a/esphome/components/uart/__init__.py
+++ b/esphome/components/uart/__init__.py
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+from dataclasses import dataclass
 from logging import getLogger
 import math
 import re
@@ -32,13 +33,15 @@ from esphome.const import (
     PLATFORM_HOST,
     PlatformFramework,
 )
-from esphome.core import CORE, ID
+from esphome.core import CORE, ID, CoroPriority, coroutine_with_priority
 import esphome.final_validate as fv
 from esphome.yaml_util import make_data_base
 
 _LOGGER = getLogger(__name__)
 
 CODEOWNERS = ["@esphome/core"]
+DOMAIN = "uart"
+
 uart_ns = cg.esphome_ns.namespace("uart")
 UARTComponent = uart_ns.class_("UARTComponent")
 
@@ -52,6 +55,7 @@ LibreTinyUARTComponent = uart_ns.class_(
 )
 HostUartComponent = uart_ns.class_("HostUartComponent", UARTComponent, cg.Component)
 
+
 NATIVE_UART_CLASSES = (
     str(IDFUARTComponent),
     str(ESP8266UartComponent),
@@ -100,6 +104,30 @@ MULTI_CONF = True
 MULTI_CONF_NO_DEFAULT = True
 
 
+@dataclass
+class UARTData:
+    """State data for UART component configuration generation."""
+
+    wake_loop_on_rx: bool = False
+
+
+def _get_data() -> UARTData:
+    """Get UART component data from CORE.data."""
+    if DOMAIN not in CORE.data:
+        CORE.data[DOMAIN] = UARTData()
+    return CORE.data[DOMAIN]
+
+
+def request_wake_loop_on_rx() -> None:
+    """Request that the UART wake the main loop when data is received.
+
+    Components that need low-latency notification of incoming UART data
+    should call this function during their code generation.
+    This enables the RX event task which wakes the main loop when data arrives.
+    """
+    _get_data().wake_loop_on_rx = True
+
+
 def validate_raw_data(value):
     if isinstance(value, str):
         return value.encode("utf-8")
@@ -335,6 +363,8 @@ async def to_code(config):
     if CONF_DEBUG in config:
         await debug_to_code(config[CONF_DEBUG], var)
 
+    CORE.add_job(final_step)
+
 
 # A schema to use for all UART devices, all UART integrations must extend this!
 UART_DEVICE_SCHEMA = cv.Schema(
@@ -472,6 +502,13 @@ async def uart_write_to_code(config, action_id, template_arg, args):
     return var
 
 
+@coroutine_with_priority(CoroPriority.FINAL)
+async def final_step():
+    """Final code generation step to configure optional UART features."""
+    if _get_data().wake_loop_on_rx:
+        cg.add_define("USE_UART_WAKE_LOOP_ON_RX")
+
+
 FILTER_SOURCE_FILES = filter_source_files_from_platform(
     {
         "uart_component_esp_idf.cpp": {
diff --git a/esphome/components/uart/uart_component_esp_idf.cpp b/esphome/components/uart/uart_component_esp_idf.cpp
index 61ca8c1c0c..c6efe862c4 100644
--- a/esphome/components/uart/uart_component_esp_idf.cpp
+++ b/esphome/components/uart/uart_component_esp_idf.cpp
@@ -112,6 +112,12 @@ void IDFUARTComponent::load_settings(bool dump_config) {
   esp_err_t err;
 
   if (uart_is_driver_installed(this->uart_num_)) {
+#ifdef USE_UART_WAKE_LOOP_ON_RX
+    if (this->rx_event_task_handle_ != nullptr) {
+      vTaskDelete(this->rx_event_task_handle_);
+      this->rx_event_task_handle_ = nullptr;
+    }
+#endif
     err = uart_driver_delete(this->uart_num_);
     if (err != ESP_OK) {
       ESP_LOGW(TAG, "uart_driver_delete failed: %s", esp_err_to_name(err));
@@ -204,6 +210,11 @@ void IDFUARTComponent::load_settings(bool dump_config) {
     return;
   }
 
+#ifdef USE_UART_WAKE_LOOP_ON_RX
+  // Start the RX event task to enable low-latency data notifications
+  this->start_rx_event_task_();
+#endif  // USE_UART_WAKE_LOOP_ON_RX
+
   if (dump_config) {
     ESP_LOGCONFIG(TAG, "Reloaded UART %u", this->uart_num_);
     this->dump_config();
@@ -226,7 +237,11 @@ void IDFUARTComponent::dump_config() {
                 "  Baud Rate: %" PRIu32 " baud\n"
                 "  Data Bits: %u\n"
                 "  Parity: %s\n"
-                "  Stop bits: %u",
+                "  Stop bits: %u"
+#ifdef USE_UART_WAKE_LOOP_ON_RX
+                "\n  Wake on data RX: ENABLED"
+#endif
+                ,
                 this->baud_rate_, this->data_bits_, LOG_STR_ARG(parity_to_str(this->parity_)), this->stop_bits_);
   this->check_logger_conflict();
 }
@@ -337,6 +352,59 @@ void IDFUARTComponent::flush() {
 
 void IDFUARTComponent::check_logger_conflict() {}
 
+#ifdef USE_UART_WAKE_LOOP_ON_RX
+void IDFUARTComponent::start_rx_event_task_() {
+  // Create FreeRTOS task to monitor UART events
+  BaseType_t result = xTaskCreate(rx_event_task_func,    // Task function
+                                  "uart_rx_evt",         // Task name (max 16 chars)
+                                  2240,                  // Stack size in bytes (~2.2KB); increase if needed for logging
+                                  this,                  // Task parameter (this pointer)
+                                  tskIDLE_PRIORITY + 1,  // Priority (low, just above idle)
+                                  &this->rx_event_task_handle_  // Task handle
+  );
+
+  if (result != pdPASS) {
+    ESP_LOGE(TAG, "Failed to create RX event task");
+    return;
+  }
+
+  ESP_LOGV(TAG, "RX event task started");
+}
+
+void IDFUARTComponent::rx_event_task_func(void *param) {
+  auto *self = static_cast<IDFUARTComponent *>(param);
+  uart_event_t event;
+
+  ESP_LOGV(TAG, "RX event task running");
+
+  // Run forever - task lifecycle matches component lifecycle
+  while (true) {
+    // Wait for UART events (blocks efficiently)
+    if (xQueueReceive(self->uart_event_queue_, &event, portMAX_DELAY) == pdTRUE) {
+      switch (event.type) {
+        case UART_DATA:
+          // Data available in UART RX buffer - wake the main loop
+          ESP_LOGVV(TAG, "Data event: %d bytes", event.size);
+          App.wake_loop_threadsafe();
+          break;
+
+        case UART_FIFO_OVF:
+        case UART_BUFFER_FULL:
+          ESP_LOGW(TAG, "FIFO overflow or ring buffer full - clearing");
+          uart_flush_input(self->uart_num_);
+          App.wake_loop_threadsafe();
+          break;
+
+        default:
+          // Ignore other event types
+          ESP_LOGVV(TAG, "Event type: %d", event.type);
+          break;
+      }
+    }
+  }
+}
+#endif  // USE_UART_WAKE_LOOP_ON_RX
+
 }  // namespace uart
 }  // namespace esphome
 
diff --git a/esphome/components/uart/uart_component_esp_idf.h b/esphome/components/uart/uart_component_esp_idf.h
index a2ba2aa968..e47a323979 100644
--- a/esphome/components/uart/uart_component_esp_idf.h
+++ b/esphome/components/uart/uart_component_esp_idf.h
@@ -53,6 +53,14 @@ class IDFUARTComponent : public UARTComponent, public Component {
 
   bool has_peek_{false};
   uint8_t peek_byte_;
+
+#ifdef USE_UART_WAKE_LOOP_ON_RX
+  // RX notification support
+  void start_rx_event_task_();
+  static void rx_event_task_func(void *param);
+
+  TaskHandle_t rx_event_task_handle_{nullptr};
+#endif  // USE_UART_WAKE_LOOP_ON_RX
 };
 
 }  // namespace uart
diff --git a/esphome/core/defines.h b/esphome/core/defines.h
index 538d4e3d6e..12dfdba5ce 100644
--- a/esphome/core/defines.h
+++ b/esphome/core/defines.h
@@ -107,6 +107,7 @@
 #define USE_TIME
 #define USE_TOUCHSCREEN
 #define USE_UART_DEBUGGER
+#define USE_UART_WAKE_LOOP_ON_RX
 #define USE_UPDATE
 #define USE_VALVE
 #define USE_ZWAVE_PROXY