diff --git a/esphome/components/bluetooth_proxy/bluetooth_connection.cpp b/esphome/components/bluetooth_proxy/bluetooth_connection.cpp
index 1911701632..efd258a456 100644
--- a/esphome/components/bluetooth_proxy/bluetooth_connection.cpp
+++ b/esphome/components/bluetooth_proxy/bluetooth_connection.cpp
@@ -35,11 +35,34 @@ bool BluetoothConnection::gattc_event_handler(esp_gattc_cb_event_t event, esp_ga
         api::global_api_server->send_bluetooth_connections_free(this->proxy_->get_bluetooth_connections_free(),
                                                                 this->proxy_->get_bluetooth_connections_limit());
       }
+      this->seen_mtu_or_services_ = false;
+      break;
+    }
+    case ESP_GATTC_CFG_MTU_EVT: {
+      if (param->cfg_mtu.conn_id != this->conn_id_)
+        break;
+      if (!this->seen_mtu_or_services_) {
+        // We don't know if we will get the MTU or the services first, so
+        // only send the device connection true if we have already received
+        // the services.
+        this->seen_mtu_or_services_ = true;
+        break;
+      }
+      api::global_api_server->send_bluetooth_device_connection(this->address_, true, this->mtu_);
+      api::global_api_server->send_bluetooth_connections_free(this->proxy_->get_bluetooth_connections_free(),
+                                                              this->proxy_->get_bluetooth_connections_limit());
       break;
     }
     case ESP_GATTC_SEARCH_CMPL_EVT: {
       if (param->search_cmpl.conn_id != this->conn_id_)
         break;
+      if (!this->seen_mtu_or_services_) {
+        // We don't know if we will get the MTU or the services first, so
+        // only send the device connection true if we have already received
+        // the mtu.
+        this->seen_mtu_or_services_ = true;
+        break;
+      }
       api::global_api_server->send_bluetooth_device_connection(this->address_, true, this->mtu_);
       api::global_api_server->send_bluetooth_connections_free(this->proxy_->get_bluetooth_connections_free(),
                                                               this->proxy_->get_bluetooth_connections_limit());
diff --git a/esphome/components/bluetooth_proxy/bluetooth_connection.h b/esphome/components/bluetooth_proxy/bluetooth_connection.h
index 1f759c3485..fa0233d2fb 100644
--- a/esphome/components/bluetooth_proxy/bluetooth_connection.h
+++ b/esphome/components/bluetooth_proxy/bluetooth_connection.h
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ class BluetoothConnection : public esp32_ble_client::BLEClientBase {
 
  protected:
   friend class BluetoothProxy;
+  bool seen_mtu_or_services_{false};
 
   int16_t send_service_{-1};
   BluetoothProxy *proxy_;
diff --git a/esphome/components/esp32_ble_client/ble_client_base.cpp b/esphome/components/esp32_ble_client/ble_client_base.cpp
index 23a55727e4..9c7f98470b 100644
--- a/esphome/components/esp32_ble_client/ble_client_base.cpp
+++ b/esphome/components/esp32_ble_client/ble_client_base.cpp
@@ -112,6 +112,7 @@ bool BLEClientBase::gattc_event_handler(esp_gattc_cb_event_t event, esp_gatt_if_
         ESP_LOGW(TAG, "[%d] [%s] esp_ble_gattc_send_mtu_req failed, status=%x", this->connection_index_,
                  this->address_str_.c_str(), ret);
       }
+      esp_ble_gattc_search_service(esp_gattc_if, param->cfg_mtu.conn_id, nullptr);
       break;
     }
     case ESP_GATTC_CFG_MTU_EVT: {
@@ -124,7 +125,6 @@ bool BLEClientBase::gattc_event_handler(esp_gattc_cb_event_t event, esp_gatt_if_
       ESP_LOGV(TAG, "[%d] [%s] cfg_mtu status %d, mtu %d", this->connection_index_, this->address_str_.c_str(),
                param->cfg_mtu.status, param->cfg_mtu.mtu);
       this->mtu_ = param->cfg_mtu.mtu;
-      esp_ble_gattc_search_service(esp_gattc_if, param->cfg_mtu.conn_id, nullptr);
       break;
     }
     case ESP_GATTC_DISCONNECT_EVT: {