diff --git a/esphome/components/esp8266/core.cpp b/esphome/components/esp8266/core.cpp
index 07659b34c8..200ca567c2 100644
--- a/esphome/components/esp8266/core.cpp
+++ b/esphome/components/esp8266/core.cpp
@@ -58,8 +58,8 @@ extern "C" void resetPins() {  // NOLINT
 
 #ifdef USE_ESP8266_EARLY_PIN_INIT
   for (int i = 0; i < 16; i++) {
-    uint8_t mode = pgm_read_byte(&ESPHOME_ESP8266_GPIO_INITIAL_MODE[i]);
-    uint8_t level = pgm_read_byte(&ESPHOME_ESP8266_GPIO_INITIAL_LEVEL[i]);
+    uint8_t mode = progmem_read_byte(&ESPHOME_ESP8266_GPIO_INITIAL_MODE[i]);
+    uint8_t level = progmem_read_byte(&ESPHOME_ESP8266_GPIO_INITIAL_LEVEL[i]);
     if (mode != 255)
       pinMode(i, mode);  // NOLINT
     if (level != 255)
diff --git a/esphome/components/esp8266/core.h b/esphome/components/esp8266/core.h
index 6daf0fd110..8c9ffd40a4 100644
--- a/esphome/components/esp8266/core.h
+++ b/esphome/components/esp8266/core.h
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@
 #ifdef USE_ESP8266
 
 #include <cstdint>
-#include <pgmspace.h>
 
 extern const uint8_t ESPHOME_ESP8266_GPIO_INITIAL_MODE[16] PROGMEM;
 extern const uint8_t ESPHOME_ESP8266_GPIO_INITIAL_LEVEL[16] PROGMEM;