diff --git a/esphome/components/wifi/wifi_component.h b/esphome/components/wifi/wifi_component.h
index 604efa8a7e..57e15adcf7 100644
--- a/esphome/components/wifi/wifi_component.h
+++ b/esphome/components/wifi/wifi_component.h
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 #include "esphome/core/automation.h"
 #include "esphome/core/component.h"
 #include "esphome/core/helpers.h"
+#include "esphome/core/string_ref.h"
 
 #include <string>
 #include <vector>
@@ -274,7 +275,7 @@ class WiFiScanResultsListener {
  */
 class WiFiConnectStateListener {
  public:
-  virtual void on_wifi_connect_state(const std::string &ssid, const bssid_t &bssid) = 0;
+  virtual void on_wifi_connect_state(StringRef ssid, const bssid_t &bssid) = 0;
 };
 
 /** Listener interface for WiFi power save mode changes.
diff --git a/esphome/components/wifi/wifi_component_esp8266.cpp b/esphome/components/wifi/wifi_component_esp8266.cpp
index 550b5579ff..750124cb94 100644
--- a/esphome/components/wifi/wifi_component_esp8266.cpp
+++ b/esphome/components/wifi/wifi_component_esp8266.cpp
@@ -525,8 +525,10 @@ void WiFiComponent::wifi_event_callback(System_Event_t *event) {
                it.channel);
       s_sta_connected = true;
 #ifdef USE_WIFI_LISTENERS
+      bssid_t bssid;
+      std::copy_n(it.bssid, 6, bssid.begin());
       for (auto *listener : global_wifi_component->connect_state_listeners_) {
-        listener->on_wifi_connect_state(global_wifi_component->wifi_ssid(), global_wifi_component->wifi_bssid());
+        listener->on_wifi_connect_state(StringRef(buf, it.ssid_len), bssid);
       }
       // For static IP configurations, GOT_IP event may not fire, so notify IP listeners here
 #ifdef USE_WIFI_MANUAL_IP
@@ -560,7 +562,7 @@ void WiFiComponent::wifi_event_callback(System_Event_t *event) {
       s_sta_connecting = false;
 #ifdef USE_WIFI_LISTENERS
       for (auto *listener : global_wifi_component->connect_state_listeners_) {
-        listener->on_wifi_connect_state("", bssid_t({0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0}));
+        listener->on_wifi_connect_state(StringRef(), bssid_t({0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0}));
       }
 #endif
       break;
diff --git a/esphome/components/wifi/wifi_component_esp_idf.cpp b/esphome/components/wifi/wifi_component_esp_idf.cpp
index 212514af93..377a728c37 100644
--- a/esphome/components/wifi/wifi_component_esp_idf.cpp
+++ b/esphome/components/wifi/wifi_component_esp_idf.cpp
@@ -736,8 +736,10 @@ void WiFiComponent::wifi_process_event_(IDFWiFiEvent *data) {
              format_mac_address_pretty(it.bssid).c_str(), it.channel, get_auth_mode_str(it.authmode));
     s_sta_connected = true;
 #ifdef USE_WIFI_LISTENERS
+    bssid_t bssid;
+    std::copy_n(it.bssid, 6, bssid.begin());
     for (auto *listener : this->connect_state_listeners_) {
-      listener->on_wifi_connect_state(this->wifi_ssid(), this->wifi_bssid());
+      listener->on_wifi_connect_state(StringRef(buf, it.ssid_len), bssid);
     }
     // For static IP configurations, GOT_IP event may not fire, so notify IP listeners here
 #ifdef USE_WIFI_MANUAL_IP
@@ -773,7 +775,7 @@ void WiFiComponent::wifi_process_event_(IDFWiFiEvent *data) {
     error_from_callback_ = true;
 #ifdef USE_WIFI_LISTENERS
     for (auto *listener : this->connect_state_listeners_) {
-      listener->on_wifi_connect_state("", bssid_t({0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0}));
+      listener->on_wifi_connect_state(StringRef(), bssid_t({0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0}));
     }
 #endif
 
diff --git a/esphome/components/wifi/wifi_component_libretiny.cpp b/esphome/components/wifi/wifi_component_libretiny.cpp
index 340537b228..f241ad7cde 100644
--- a/esphome/components/wifi/wifi_component_libretiny.cpp
+++ b/esphome/components/wifi/wifi_component_libretiny.cpp
@@ -302,8 +302,10 @@ void WiFiComponent::wifi_event_callback_(esphome_wifi_event_id_t event, esphome_
       ESP_LOGV(TAG, "Connected ssid='%s' bssid=" LOG_SECRET("%s") " channel=%u, authmode=%s", buf,
                format_mac_address_pretty(it.bssid).c_str(), it.channel, get_auth_mode_str(it.authmode));
 #ifdef USE_WIFI_LISTENERS
+      bssid_t bssid;
+      std::copy_n(it.bssid, 6, bssid.begin());
       for (auto *listener : this->connect_state_listeners_) {
-        listener->on_wifi_connect_state(this->wifi_ssid(), this->wifi_bssid());
+        listener->on_wifi_connect_state(StringRef(buf, it.ssid_len), bssid);
       }
       // For static IP configurations, GOT_IP event may not fire, so notify IP listeners here
 #ifdef USE_WIFI_MANUAL_IP
@@ -358,7 +360,7 @@ void WiFiComponent::wifi_event_callback_(esphome_wifi_event_id_t event, esphome_
       s_sta_connecting = false;
 #ifdef USE_WIFI_LISTENERS
       for (auto *listener : this->connect_state_listeners_) {
-        listener->on_wifi_connect_state("", bssid_t({0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0}));
+        listener->on_wifi_connect_state(StringRef(), bssid_t({0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0}));
       }
 #endif
       break;
diff --git a/esphome/components/wifi/wifi_component_pico_w.cpp b/esphome/components/wifi/wifi_component_pico_w.cpp
index 61709852ff..a293f09b21 100644
--- a/esphome/components/wifi/wifi_component_pico_w.cpp
+++ b/esphome/components/wifi/wifi_component_pico_w.cpp
@@ -256,8 +256,10 @@ void WiFiComponent::wifi_loop_() {
     s_sta_was_connected = true;
     ESP_LOGV(TAG, "Connected");
 #ifdef USE_WIFI_LISTENERS
+    String ssid = WiFi.SSID();
+    bssid_t bssid = this->wifi_bssid();
     for (auto *listener : this->connect_state_listeners_) {
-      listener->on_wifi_connect_state(this->wifi_ssid(), this->wifi_bssid());
+      listener->on_wifi_connect_state(StringRef(ssid.c_str(), ssid.length()), bssid);
     }
     // For static IP configurations, notify IP listeners immediately as the IP is already configured
 #ifdef USE_WIFI_MANUAL_IP
@@ -276,7 +278,7 @@ void WiFiComponent::wifi_loop_() {
     ESP_LOGV(TAG, "Disconnected");
 #ifdef USE_WIFI_LISTENERS
     for (auto *listener : this->connect_state_listeners_) {
-      listener->on_wifi_connect_state("", bssid_t({0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0}));
+      listener->on_wifi_connect_state(StringRef(), bssid_t({0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0}));
     }
 #endif
   }
diff --git a/esphome/components/wifi_info/wifi_info_text_sensor.cpp b/esphome/components/wifi_info/wifi_info_text_sensor.cpp
index eae0f87b40..d018da3081 100644
--- a/esphome/components/wifi_info/wifi_info_text_sensor.cpp
+++ b/esphome/components/wifi_info/wifi_info_text_sensor.cpp
@@ -103,8 +103,8 @@ void SSIDWiFiInfo::setup() { wifi::global_wifi_component->add_connect_state_list
 
 void SSIDWiFiInfo::dump_config() { LOG_TEXT_SENSOR("", "SSID", this); }
 
-void SSIDWiFiInfo::on_wifi_connect_state(const std::string &ssid, const wifi::bssid_t &bssid) {
-  this->publish_state(ssid);
+void SSIDWiFiInfo::on_wifi_connect_state(StringRef ssid, const wifi::bssid_t &bssid) {
+  this->publish_state(ssid.str());
 }
 
 /****************
@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@ void BSSIDWiFiInfo::setup() { wifi::global_wifi_component->add_connect_state_lis
 
 void BSSIDWiFiInfo::dump_config() { LOG_TEXT_SENSOR("", "BSSID", this); }
 
-void BSSIDWiFiInfo::on_wifi_connect_state(const std::string &ssid, const wifi::bssid_t &bssid) {
+void BSSIDWiFiInfo::on_wifi_connect_state(StringRef ssid, const wifi::bssid_t &bssid) {
   char buf[18] = "unknown";
   if (mac_address_is_valid(bssid.data())) {
     format_mac_addr_upper(bssid.data(), buf);
diff --git a/esphome/components/wifi_info/wifi_info_text_sensor.h b/esphome/components/wifi_info/wifi_info_text_sensor.h
index b2242372da..4819e47d2f 100644
--- a/esphome/components/wifi_info/wifi_info_text_sensor.h
+++ b/esphome/components/wifi_info/wifi_info_text_sensor.h
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ class SSIDWiFiInfo final : public Component, public text_sensor::TextSensor, pub
   void dump_config() override;
 
   // WiFiConnectStateListener interface
-  void on_wifi_connect_state(const std::string &ssid, const wifi::bssid_t &bssid) override;
+  void on_wifi_connect_state(StringRef ssid, const wifi::bssid_t &bssid) override;
 };
 
 class BSSIDWiFiInfo final : public Component, public text_sensor::TextSensor, public wifi::WiFiConnectStateListener {
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ class BSSIDWiFiInfo final : public Component, public text_sensor::TextSensor, pu
   void dump_config() override;
 
   // WiFiConnectStateListener interface
-  void on_wifi_connect_state(const std::string &ssid, const wifi::bssid_t &bssid) override;
+  void on_wifi_connect_state(StringRef ssid, const wifi::bssid_t &bssid) override;
 };
 
 class PowerSaveModeWiFiInfo final : public Component,
diff --git a/esphome/components/wifi_signal/wifi_signal_sensor.h b/esphome/components/wifi_signal/wifi_signal_sensor.h
index 9f581f1eb2..940a8e6bf7 100644
--- a/esphome/components/wifi_signal/wifi_signal_sensor.h
+++ b/esphome/components/wifi_signal/wifi_signal_sensor.h
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ class WiFiSignalSensor : public sensor::Sensor, public PollingComponent {
 
 #ifdef USE_WIFI_LISTENERS
   // WiFiConnectStateListener interface - update RSSI immediately on connect
-  void on_wifi_connect_state(const std::string &ssid, const wifi::bssid_t &bssid) override { this->update(); }
+  void on_wifi_connect_state(StringRef ssid, const wifi::bssid_t &bssid) override { this->update(); }
 #endif
 };