diff --git a/esphome/components/api/api_connection.cpp b/esphome/components/api/api_connection.cpp
index 1626f395e6..dab4395fcc 100644
--- a/esphome/components/api/api_connection.cpp
+++ b/esphome/components/api/api_connection.cpp
@@ -133,8 +133,8 @@ void APIConnection::start() {
     return;
   }
   // Initialize client name with peername (IP address) until Hello message provides actual name
-  const char *peername = this->helper_->get_client_peername();
-  this->helper_->set_client_name(peername, strlen(peername));
+  char peername[socket::SOCKADDR_STR_LEN];
+  this->helper_->set_client_name(this->helper_->get_peername_to(peername), strlen(peername));
 }
 
 APIConnection::~APIConnection() {
@@ -1524,8 +1524,11 @@ void APIConnection::complete_authentication_() {
   this->flags_.connection_state = static_cast<uint8_t>(ConnectionState::AUTHENTICATED);
   this->log_client_(ESPHOME_LOG_LEVEL_DEBUG, LOG_STR("connected"));
 #ifdef USE_API_CLIENT_CONNECTED_TRIGGER
-  this->parent_->get_client_connected_trigger()->trigger(std::string(this->helper_->get_client_name()),
-                                                         std::string(this->helper_->get_client_peername()));
+  {
+    char peername[socket::SOCKADDR_STR_LEN];
+    this->parent_->get_client_connected_trigger()->trigger(std::string(this->helper_->get_client_name()),
+                                                           std::string(this->helper_->get_peername_to(peername)));
+  }
 #endif
 #ifdef USE_HOMEASSISTANT_TIME
   if (homeassistant::global_homeassistant_time != nullptr) {
@@ -1544,8 +1547,9 @@ bool APIConnection::send_hello_response(const HelloRequest &msg) {
   this->helper_->set_client_name(msg.client_info.c_str(), msg.client_info.size());
   this->client_api_version_major_ = msg.api_version_major;
   this->client_api_version_minor_ = msg.api_version_minor;
+  char peername[socket::SOCKADDR_STR_LEN];
   ESP_LOGV(TAG, "Hello from client: '%s' | %s | API Version %" PRIu32 ".%" PRIu32, this->helper_->get_client_name(),
-           this->helper_->get_client_peername(), this->client_api_version_major_, this->client_api_version_minor_);
+           this->helper_->get_peername_to(peername), this->client_api_version_major_, this->client_api_version_minor_);
 
   HelloResponse resp;
   resp.api_version_major = 1;
@@ -1862,7 +1866,8 @@ void APIConnection::on_no_setup_connection() {
   this->log_client_(ESPHOME_LOG_LEVEL_DEBUG, LOG_STR("no connection setup"));
 }
 void APIConnection::on_fatal_error() {
-  this->helper_->close();
+  // Don't close socket here - keep it open so getpeername() works for logging
+  // Socket will be closed when client is removed from the list in APIServer::loop()
   this->flags_.remove = true;
 }
 
@@ -2218,12 +2223,14 @@ void APIConnection::process_state_subscriptions_() {
 #endif  // USE_API_HOMEASSISTANT_STATES
 
 void APIConnection::log_client_(int level, const LogString *message) {
+  char peername[socket::SOCKADDR_STR_LEN];
   esp_log_printf_(level, TAG, __LINE__, ESPHOME_LOG_FORMAT("%s (%s): %s"), this->helper_->get_client_name(),
-                  this->helper_->get_client_peername(), LOG_STR_ARG(message));
+                  this->helper_->get_peername_to(peername), LOG_STR_ARG(message));
 }
 
 void APIConnection::log_warning_(const LogString *message, APIError err) {
-  ESP_LOGW(TAG, "%s (%s): %s %s errno=%d", this->helper_->get_client_name(), this->helper_->get_client_peername(),
+  char peername[socket::SOCKADDR_STR_LEN];
+  ESP_LOGW(TAG, "%s (%s): %s %s errno=%d", this->helper_->get_client_name(), this->helper_->get_peername_to(peername),
            LOG_STR_ARG(message), LOG_STR_ARG(api_error_to_logstr(err)), errno);
 }
 
diff --git a/esphome/components/api/api_connection.h b/esphome/components/api/api_connection.h
index 21bf4c4073..ceaba5ddaf 100644
--- a/esphome/components/api/api_connection.h
+++ b/esphome/components/api/api_connection.h
@@ -281,8 +281,8 @@ class APIConnection final : public APIServerConnection {
   bool send_buffer(ProtoWriteBuffer buffer, uint8_t message_type) override;
 
   const char *get_name() const { return this->helper_->get_client_name(); }
-  /// Get peer name (IP address) - cached at connection init time
-  const char *get_peername() const { return this->helper_->get_client_peername(); }
+  /// Get peer name (IP address) into caller-provided buffer, returns buf for convenience
+  const char *get_peername_to(char *buf) const { return this->helper_->get_peername_to(buf); }
 
  protected:
   // Helper function to handle authentication completion
diff --git a/esphome/components/api/api_frame_helper.cpp b/esphome/components/api/api_frame_helper.cpp
index dd44fe9e17..3c28324c6d 100644
--- a/esphome/components/api/api_frame_helper.cpp
+++ b/esphome/components/api/api_frame_helper.cpp
@@ -16,7 +16,12 @@ static const char *const TAG = "api.frame_helper";
 static constexpr size_t API_MAX_LOG_BYTES = 168;
 
 #if ESPHOME_LOG_LEVEL >= ESPHOME_LOG_LEVEL_VERY_VERBOSE
-#define HELPER_LOG(msg, ...) ESP_LOGVV(TAG, "%s (%s): " msg, this->client_name_, this->client_peername_, ##__VA_ARGS__)
+#define HELPER_LOG(msg, ...) \
+  do { \
+    char peername_buf[socket::SOCKADDR_STR_LEN]; \
+    this->get_peername_to(peername_buf); \
+    ESP_LOGVV(TAG, "%s (%s): " msg, this->client_name_, peername_buf, ##__VA_ARGS__); \
+  } while (0)
 #else
 #define HELPER_LOG(msg, ...) ((void) 0)
 #endif
@@ -245,8 +250,6 @@ APIError APIFrameHelper::init_common_() {
     HELPER_LOG("Bad state for init %d", (int) state_);
     return APIError::BAD_STATE;
   }
-  // Cache peername now while socket is valid - needed for error logging after socket failure
-  this->socket_->getpeername_to(this->client_peername_);
   int err = this->socket_->setblocking(false);
   if (err != 0) {
     state_ = State::FAILED;
diff --git a/esphome/components/api/api_frame_helper.h b/esphome/components/api/api_frame_helper.h
index f311e34fd7..a857fa2fcc 100644
--- a/esphome/components/api/api_frame_helper.h
+++ b/esphome/components/api/api_frame_helper.h
@@ -90,8 +90,16 @@ class APIFrameHelper {
 
   // Get client name (null-terminated)
   const char *get_client_name() const { return this->client_name_; }
-  // Get client peername/IP (null-terminated, cached at init time for availability after socket failure)
-  const char *get_client_peername() const { return this->client_peername_; }
+  // Get client peername/IP into caller-provided buffer (fetches on-demand from socket)
+  // Returns pointer to buf for convenience in printf-style calls
+  const char *get_peername_to(char *buf) const {
+    if (this->socket_) {
+      this->socket_->getpeername_to(std::span<char, socket::SOCKADDR_STR_LEN>(buf, socket::SOCKADDR_STR_LEN));
+    } else {
+      buf[0] = '\0';
+    }
+    return buf;
+  }
   // Set client name from buffer with length (truncates if needed)
   void set_client_name(const char *name, size_t len) {
     size_t copy_len = std::min(len, sizeof(this->client_name_) - 1);
@@ -105,6 +113,8 @@ class APIFrameHelper {
   bool can_write_without_blocking() { return this->state_ == State::DATA && this->tx_buf_count_ == 0; }
   int getpeername(struct sockaddr *addr, socklen_t *addrlen) { return socket_->getpeername(addr, addrlen); }
   APIError close() {
+    if (state_ == State::CLOSED)
+      return APIError::OK;  // Already closed
     state_ = State::CLOSED;
     int err = this->socket_->close();
     if (err == -1)
@@ -231,8 +241,6 @@ class APIFrameHelper {
 
   // Client name buffer - stores name from Hello message or initial peername
   char client_name_[CLIENT_INFO_NAME_MAX_LEN]{};
-  // Cached peername/IP address - captured at init time for availability after socket failure
-  char client_peername_[socket::SOCKADDR_STR_LEN]{};
 
   // Group smaller types together
   uint16_t rx_buf_len_ = 0;
diff --git a/esphome/components/api/api_frame_helper_noise.cpp b/esphome/components/api/api_frame_helper_noise.cpp
index 4a9257231d..c1641b398a 100644
--- a/esphome/components/api/api_frame_helper_noise.cpp
+++ b/esphome/components/api/api_frame_helper_noise.cpp
@@ -29,7 +29,12 @@ static constexpr size_t PROLOGUE_INIT_LEN = 12;  // strlen("NoiseAPIInit")
 static constexpr size_t API_MAX_LOG_BYTES = 168;
 
 #if ESPHOME_LOG_LEVEL >= ESPHOME_LOG_LEVEL_VERY_VERBOSE
-#define HELPER_LOG(msg, ...) ESP_LOGVV(TAG, "%s (%s): " msg, this->client_name_, this->client_peername_, ##__VA_ARGS__)
+#define HELPER_LOG(msg, ...) \
+  do { \
+    char peername_buf[socket::SOCKADDR_STR_LEN]; \
+    this->get_peername_to(peername_buf); \
+    ESP_LOGVV(TAG, "%s (%s): " msg, this->client_name_, peername_buf, ##__VA_ARGS__); \
+  } while (0)
 #else
 #define HELPER_LOG(msg, ...) ((void) 0)
 #endif
diff --git a/esphome/components/api/api_frame_helper_plaintext.cpp b/esphome/components/api/api_frame_helper_plaintext.cpp
index 3dfd683929..ed3cc8934e 100644
--- a/esphome/components/api/api_frame_helper_plaintext.cpp
+++ b/esphome/components/api/api_frame_helper_plaintext.cpp
@@ -21,7 +21,12 @@ static const char *const TAG = "api.plaintext";
 static constexpr size_t API_MAX_LOG_BYTES = 168;
 
 #if ESPHOME_LOG_LEVEL >= ESPHOME_LOG_LEVEL_VERY_VERBOSE
-#define HELPER_LOG(msg, ...) ESP_LOGVV(TAG, "%s (%s): " msg, this->client_name_, this->client_peername_, ##__VA_ARGS__)
+#define HELPER_LOG(msg, ...) \
+  do { \
+    char peername_buf[socket::SOCKADDR_STR_LEN]; \
+    this->get_peername_to(peername_buf); \
+    ESP_LOGVV(TAG, "%s (%s): " msg, this->client_name_, peername_buf, ##__VA_ARGS__); \
+  } while (0)
 #else
 #define HELPER_LOG(msg, ...) ((void) 0)
 #endif
diff --git a/esphome/components/api/api_server.cpp b/esphome/components/api/api_server.cpp
index ed97c3b9a2..379445d149 100644
--- a/esphome/components/api/api_server.cpp
+++ b/esphome/components/api/api_server.cpp
@@ -192,11 +192,15 @@ void APIServer::loop() {
     ESP_LOGV(TAG, "Remove connection %s", client->get_name());
 
 #ifdef USE_API_CLIENT_DISCONNECTED_TRIGGER
-    // Save client info before removal for the trigger
+    // Save client info before closing socket and removal for the trigger
+    char peername_buf[socket::SOCKADDR_STR_LEN];
     std::string client_name(client->get_name());
-    std::string client_peername(client->get_peername());
+    std::string client_peername(client->get_peername_to(peername_buf));
 #endif
 
+    // Close socket now (was deferred from on_fatal_error to allow getpeername)
+    client->helper_->close();
+
     // Swap with the last element and pop (avoids expensive vector shifts)
     if (client_index < this->clients_.size() - 1) {
       std::swap(this->clients_[client_index], this->clients_.back());