diff --git a/esphome/components/esp32_ble_client/ble_client_base.cpp b/esphome/components/esp32_ble_client/ble_client_base.cpp
index 94f2a6073c..644c822e06 100644
--- a/esphome/components/esp32_ble_client/ble_client_base.cpp
+++ b/esphome/components/esp32_ble_client/ble_client_base.cpp
@@ -45,8 +45,10 @@ void BLEClientBase::set_state(espbt::ClientState st) {
   ESPBTClient::set_state(st);
 
   if (st == espbt::ClientState::READY_TO_CONNECT) {
-    // Enable loop when we need to connect
+    // Enable loop for state processing
     this->enable_loop();
+    // Connect immediately instead of waiting for next loop
+    this->connect();
   }
 }
 
@@ -63,11 +65,6 @@ void BLEClientBase::loop() {
     }
     this->set_state(espbt::ClientState::IDLE);
   }
-  // READY_TO_CONNECT means we have discovered the device
-  // and the scanner has been stopped by the tracker.
-  else if (this->state_ == espbt::ClientState::READY_TO_CONNECT) {
-    this->connect();
-  }
   // If its idle, we can disable the loop as set_state
   // will enable it again when we need to connect.
   else if (this->state_ == espbt::ClientState::IDLE) {
diff --git a/esphome/core/color.h b/esphome/core/color.h
index 2b307bb438..5dce58a485 100644
--- a/esphome/core/color.h
+++ b/esphome/core/color.h
@@ -1,8 +1,13 @@
 #pragma once
 
+#include "defines.h"
 #include "component.h"
 #include "helpers.h"
 
+#ifdef USE_LVGL
+#include "esphome/components/lvgl/lvgl_proxy.h"
+#endif  // USE_LVGL
+
 namespace esphome {
 
 inline static constexpr uint8_t esp_scale8(uint8_t i, uint8_t scale) {
@@ -33,6 +38,11 @@ struct Color {
     uint32_t raw_32;
   };
 
+#ifdef USE_LVGL
+  // convenience function for Color to get a lv_color_t representation
+  operator lv_color_t() const { return lv_color_make(this->r, this->g, this->b); }
+#endif
+
   inline constexpr Color() ESPHOME_ALWAYS_INLINE : raw_32(0) {}  // NOLINT
   inline constexpr Color(uint8_t red, uint8_t green, uint8_t blue) ESPHOME_ALWAYS_INLINE : r(red),
                                                                                            g(green),
diff --git a/tests/components/lvgl/lvgl-package.yaml b/tests/components/lvgl/lvgl-package.yaml
index 853466c9cc..7cd2e2b93e 100644
--- a/tests/components/lvgl/lvgl-package.yaml
+++ b/tests/components/lvgl/lvgl-package.yaml
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ lvgl:
     - id: date_style
       text_font: roboto10
       align: center
-      text_color: color_id2
+      text_color: !lambda return color_id2;
       bg_opa: cover
       radius: 4
       pad_all: 2