diff --git a/esphome/components/api/api_connection.cpp b/esphome/components/api/api_connection.cpp
index 3b1273433a..6c3db30858 100644
--- a/esphome/components/api/api_connection.cpp
+++ b/esphome/components/api/api_connection.cpp
@@ -1828,23 +1828,6 @@ void APIConnection::DeferredBatch::add_item_front(EntityBase *entity, uint8_t me
   }
 }
 
-bool APIConnection::send_message_smart_(EntityBase *entity, uint8_t message_type, uint8_t estimated_size,
-                                        uint8_t aux_data_index) {
-  if (this->should_send_immediately_(message_type) && this->helper_->can_write_without_blocking()) {
-    auto &shared_buf = this->parent_->get_shared_buffer_ref();
-    this->prepare_first_message_buffer(shared_buf, estimated_size);
-    DeferredBatch::BatchItem item{entity, message_type, estimated_size, aux_data_index};
-    if (this->dispatch_message_(item, MAX_BATCH_PACKET_SIZE) &&
-        this->send_buffer(ProtoWriteBuffer{&shared_buf}, message_type)) {
-#ifdef HAS_PROTO_MESSAGE_DUMP
-      this->log_batch_item_(item);
-#endif
-      return true;
-    }
-  }
-  return this->schedule_message_(entity, message_type, estimated_size, aux_data_index);
-}
-
 bool APIConnection::schedule_batch_() {
   if (!this->flags_.batch_scheduled) {
     this->flags_.batch_scheduled = true;
diff --git a/esphome/components/api/api_connection.h b/esphome/components/api/api_connection.h
index 77ba584482..9b5717c71a 100644
--- a/esphome/components/api/api_connection.h
+++ b/esphome/components/api/api_connection.h
@@ -660,7 +660,21 @@ class APIConnection final : public APIServerConnection {
   // Tries immediate send if should_send_immediately_() returns true and buffer has space
   // Falls back to batching if immediate send fails or isn't applicable
   bool send_message_smart_(EntityBase *entity, uint8_t message_type, uint8_t estimated_size,
-                           uint8_t aux_data_index = DeferredBatch::AUX_DATA_UNUSED);
+                           uint8_t aux_data_index = DeferredBatch::AUX_DATA_UNUSED) {
+    if (this->should_send_immediately_(message_type) && this->helper_->can_write_without_blocking()) {
+      auto &shared_buf = this->parent_->get_shared_buffer_ref();
+      this->prepare_first_message_buffer(shared_buf, estimated_size);
+      DeferredBatch::BatchItem item{entity, message_type, estimated_size, aux_data_index};
+      if (this->dispatch_message_(item, MAX_BATCH_PACKET_SIZE) &&
+          this->send_buffer(ProtoWriteBuffer{&shared_buf}, message_type)) {
+#ifdef HAS_PROTO_MESSAGE_DUMP
+        this->log_batch_item_(item);
+#endif
+        return true;
+      }
+    }
+    return this->schedule_message_(entity, message_type, estimated_size, aux_data_index);
+  }
 
   // Helper function to schedule a deferred message with known message type
   bool schedule_message_(EntityBase *entity, uint8_t message_type, uint8_t estimated_size,