diff --git a/esphome/components/api/api_connection.cpp b/esphome/components/api/api_connection.cpp
index 04f38d17ce..4923d65431 100644
--- a/esphome/components/api/api_connection.cpp
+++ b/esphome/components/api/api_connection.cpp
@@ -1541,8 +1541,8 @@ void APIConnection::on_home_assistant_state_response(const HomeAssistantStateRes
   for (auto &it : this->parent_->get_state_subs()) {
     // Compare entity_id and attribute with message fields
     bool entity_match = (strcmp(it.entity_id_, msg.entity_id.c_str()) == 0);
-    bool attribute_match =
-        it.has_attribute_ ? (strcmp(it.attribute_, msg.attribute.c_str()) == 0) : msg.attribute.empty();
+    bool attribute_match = (it.attribute_ != nullptr && strcmp(it.attribute_, msg.attribute.c_str()) == 0) ||
+                           (it.attribute_ == nullptr && msg.attribute.empty());
 
     if (entity_match && attribute_match) {
       it.callback_(msg.state);
@@ -1885,7 +1885,7 @@ void APIConnection::process_state_subscriptions_() {
   resp.set_entity_id(StringRef(it.entity_id_));
 
   // Avoid string copy by using the const char* pointer if it exists
-  resp.set_attribute(it.has_attribute_ ? StringRef(it.attribute_) : StringRef(""));
+  resp.set_attribute(it.attribute_ != nullptr ? StringRef(it.attribute_) : StringRef(""));
 
   resp.once = it.once_;
   if (this->send_message(resp, SubscribeHomeAssistantStateResponse::MESSAGE_TYPE)) {
diff --git a/esphome/components/api/api_server.cpp b/esphome/components/api/api_server.cpp
index f41ab65c84..64954d2ea1 100644
--- a/esphome/components/api/api_server.cpp
+++ b/esphome/components/api/api_server.cpp
@@ -435,11 +435,7 @@ void APIServer::handle_action_response(uint32_t call_id, bool success, const std
 void APIServer::add_state_subscription_(const char *entity_id, const char *attribute,
                                         std::function<void(std::string)> f, bool once) {
   this->state_subs_.push_back(HomeAssistantStateSubscription{
-      .entity_id_ = entity_id,
-      .attribute_ = attribute,
-      .callback_ = std::move(f),
-      .once_ = once,
-      .has_attribute_ = (attribute != nullptr),
+      .entity_id_ = entity_id, .attribute_ = attribute, .callback_ = std::move(f), .once_ = once,
       // entity_id_copy_ and attribute_copy_ remain nullptr (no heap allocation)
   });
 }
@@ -455,10 +451,8 @@ void APIServer::add_state_subscription_(std::string entity_id, optional<std::str
   if (attribute.has_value()) {
     sub.attribute_copy_ = std::make_unique<std::string>(std::move(attribute.value()));
     sub.attribute_ = sub.attribute_copy_->c_str();
-    sub.has_attribute_ = true;
   } else {
     sub.attribute_ = nullptr;
-    sub.has_attribute_ = false;
   }
 
   sub.callback_ = std::move(f);
diff --git a/esphome/components/api/api_server.h b/esphome/components/api/api_server.h
index b64cc4e4fc..48c6c1f3c4 100644
--- a/esphome/components/api/api_server.h
+++ b/esphome/components/api/api_server.h
@@ -155,10 +155,9 @@ class APIServer : public Component, public Controller {
 #ifdef USE_API_HOMEASSISTANT_STATES
   struct HomeAssistantStateSubscription {
     const char *entity_id_;  // Pointer to flash (internal) or heap (external)
-    const char *attribute_;  // Pointer to flash or nullptr
+    const char *attribute_;  // Pointer to flash or nullptr (nullptr means no attribute)
     std::function<void(std::string)> callback_;
     bool once_;
-    bool has_attribute_;
 
     // Storage for external components using std::string API (custom_api_device.h)
     // These are only allocated when using the std::string overload