diff --git a/esphome/components/bluetooth_proxy/bluetooth_proxy.cpp b/esphome/components/bluetooth_proxy/bluetooth_proxy.cpp
index 723466a5ff..80b7fbe960 100644
--- a/esphome/components/bluetooth_proxy/bluetooth_proxy.cpp
+++ b/esphome/components/bluetooth_proxy/bluetooth_proxy.cpp
@@ -183,6 +183,12 @@ void BluetoothProxy::bluetooth_device_request(const api::BluetoothDeviceRequest
         this->send_device_connection(msg.address, false);
         return;
       }
+      if (!msg.has_address_type) {
+        ESP_LOGE(TAG, "[%d] [%s] Missing address type in connect request", connection->get_connection_index(),
+                 connection->address_str().c_str());
+        this->send_device_connection(msg.address, false);
+        return;
+      }
       if (connection->state() == espbt::ClientState::CONNECTED ||
           connection->state() == espbt::ClientState::ESTABLISHED) {
         this->log_connection_request_ignored_(connection, connection->state());
@@ -209,13 +215,9 @@ void BluetoothProxy::bluetooth_device_request(const api::BluetoothDeviceRequest
         connection->set_connection_type(espbt::ConnectionType::V3_WITHOUT_CACHE);
         this->log_connection_info_(connection, "v3 without cache");
       }
-      if (msg.has_address_type) {
-        uint64_to_bd_addr(msg.address, connection->remote_bda_);
-        connection->set_remote_addr_type(static_cast<esp_ble_addr_type_t>(msg.address_type));
-        connection->set_state(espbt::ClientState::DISCOVERED);
-      } else {
-        connection->set_state(espbt::ClientState::SEARCHING);
-      }
+      uint64_to_bd_addr(msg.address, connection->remote_bda_);
+      connection->set_remote_addr_type(static_cast<esp_ble_addr_type_t>(msg.address_type));
+      connection->set_state(espbt::ClientState::DISCOVERED);
       this->send_connections_free();
       break;
     }
diff --git a/esphome/components/esp32_ble_client/ble_client_base.cpp b/esphome/components/esp32_ble_client/ble_client_base.cpp
index e23be2e0c1..30e1866f9f 100644
--- a/esphome/components/esp32_ble_client/ble_client_base.cpp
+++ b/esphome/components/esp32_ble_client/ble_client_base.cpp
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ bool BLEClientBase::parse_device(const espbt::ESPBTDevice &device) {
     return false;
   if (this->address_ == 0 || device.address_uint64() != this->address_)
     return false;
-  if (this->state_ != espbt::ClientState::IDLE && this->state_ != espbt::ClientState::SEARCHING)
+  if (this->state_ != espbt::ClientState::IDLE)
     return false;
 
   this->log_event_("Found device");
@@ -190,8 +190,7 @@ void BLEClientBase::unconditional_disconnect() {
     this->log_gattc_warning_("esp_ble_gattc_close", err);
   }
 
-  if (this->state_ == espbt::ClientState::SEARCHING || this->state_ == espbt::ClientState::READY_TO_CONNECT ||
-      this->state_ == espbt::ClientState::DISCOVERED) {
+  if (this->state_ == espbt::ClientState::READY_TO_CONNECT || this->state_ == espbt::ClientState::DISCOVERED) {
     this->set_address(0);
     this->set_state(espbt::ClientState::IDLE);
   } else {
diff --git a/esphome/components/esp32_ble_tracker/esp32_ble_tracker.cpp b/esphome/components/esp32_ble_tracker/esp32_ble_tracker.cpp
index 0455d136df..b385ef0097 100644
--- a/esphome/components/esp32_ble_tracker/esp32_ble_tracker.cpp
+++ b/esphome/components/esp32_ble_tracker/esp32_ble_tracker.cpp
@@ -49,8 +49,6 @@ const char *client_state_to_string(ClientState state) {
       return "DISCONNECTING";
     case ClientState::IDLE:
       return "IDLE";
-    case ClientState::SEARCHING:
-      return "SEARCHING";
     case ClientState::DISCOVERED:
       return "DISCOVERED";
     case ClientState::READY_TO_CONNECT:
diff --git a/esphome/components/esp32_ble_tracker/esp32_ble_tracker.h b/esphome/components/esp32_ble_tracker/esp32_ble_tracker.h
index 3022eb25d2..c369608d18 100644
--- a/esphome/components/esp32_ble_tracker/esp32_ble_tracker.h
+++ b/esphome/components/esp32_ble_tracker/esp32_ble_tracker.h
@@ -141,12 +141,10 @@ class ESPBTDeviceListener {
 struct ClientStateCounts {
   uint8_t connecting = 0;
   uint8_t discovered = 0;
-  uint8_t searching = 0;
   uint8_t disconnecting = 0;
 
   bool operator==(const ClientStateCounts &other) const {
-    return connecting == other.connecting && discovered == other.discovered && searching == other.searching &&
-           disconnecting == other.disconnecting;
+    return connecting == other.connecting && discovered == other.discovered && disconnecting == other.disconnecting;
   }
 
   bool operator!=(const ClientStateCounts &other) const { return !(*this == other); }
@@ -159,8 +157,6 @@ enum class ClientState : uint8_t {
   DISCONNECTING,
   // Connection is idle, no device detected.
   IDLE,
-  // Searching for device.
-  SEARCHING,
   // Device advertisement found.
   DISCOVERED,
   // Device is discovered and the scanner is stopped
@@ -321,9 +317,6 @@ class ESP32BLETracker : public Component,
         case ClientState::DISCOVERED:
           counts.discovered++;
           break;
-        case ClientState::SEARCHING:
-          counts.searching++;
-          break;
         case ClientState::CONNECTING:
         case ClientState::READY_TO_CONNECT:
           counts.connecting++;