diff --git a/esphome/components/api/api_connection.cpp b/esphome/components/api/api_connection.cpp
index a6c037d2c2..5fff270c99 100644
--- a/esphome/components/api/api_connection.cpp
+++ b/esphome/components/api/api_connection.cpp
@@ -1105,7 +1105,7 @@ void APIConnection::bluetooth_gatt_notify(const BluetoothGATTNotifyRequest &msg)
 
 bool APIConnection::send_subscribe_bluetooth_connections_free_response(
     const SubscribeBluetoothConnectionsFreeRequest &msg) {
-  bluetooth_proxy::global_bluetooth_proxy->send_connections_free();
+  bluetooth_proxy::global_bluetooth_proxy->send_connections_free(this);
   return true;
 }
 
diff --git a/esphome/components/bluetooth_proxy/bluetooth_proxy.cpp b/esphome/components/bluetooth_proxy/bluetooth_proxy.cpp
index a9a68e25c5..a59a33117a 100644
--- a/esphome/components/bluetooth_proxy/bluetooth_proxy.cpp
+++ b/esphome/components/bluetooth_proxy/bluetooth_proxy.cpp
@@ -428,11 +428,13 @@ void BluetoothProxy::send_device_connection(uint64_t address, bool connected, ui
   this->api_connection_->send_message(call, api::BluetoothDeviceConnectionResponse::MESSAGE_TYPE);
 }
 void BluetoothProxy::send_connections_free() {
-  if (this->api_connection_ == nullptr)
-    return;
+  if (this->api_connection_ != nullptr) {
+    this->send_connections_free(this->api_connection_);
+  }
+}
 
-  this->api_connection_->send_message(this->connections_free_response_,
-                                      api::BluetoothConnectionsFreeResponse::MESSAGE_TYPE);
+void BluetoothProxy::send_connections_free(api::APIConnection *api_connection) {
+  api_connection->send_message(this->connections_free_response_, api::BluetoothConnectionsFreeResponse::MESSAGE_TYPE);
 }
 
 void BluetoothProxy::send_gatt_services_done(uint64_t address) {
diff --git a/esphome/components/bluetooth_proxy/bluetooth_proxy.h b/esphome/components/bluetooth_proxy/bluetooth_proxy.h
index 8e7462c660..83cb7f374c 100644
--- a/esphome/components/bluetooth_proxy/bluetooth_proxy.h
+++ b/esphome/components/bluetooth_proxy/bluetooth_proxy.h
@@ -81,6 +81,7 @@ class BluetoothProxy : public esp32_ble_tracker::ESPBTDeviceListener, public Com
 
   void send_device_connection(uint64_t address, bool connected, uint16_t mtu = 0, esp_err_t error = ESP_OK);
   void send_connections_free();
+  void send_connections_free(api::APIConnection *api_connection);
   void send_gatt_services_done(uint64_t address);
   void send_gatt_error(uint64_t address, uint16_t handle, esp_err_t error);
   void send_device_pairing(uint64_t address, bool paired, esp_err_t error = ESP_OK);