diff --git a/esphome/components/bluetooth_proxy/bluetooth_connection.h b/esphome/components/bluetooth_proxy/bluetooth_connection.h
index 43346ef3e7..fde074d17f 100644
--- a/esphome/components/bluetooth_proxy/bluetooth_connection.h
+++ b/esphome/components/bluetooth_proxy/bluetooth_connection.h
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ class BluetoothConnection : public esp32_ble_client::BLEClientBase {
   friend class BluetoothProxy;
   bool seen_mtu_or_services_{false};
 
-  int16_t send_service_{-1};
+  int16_t send_service_{-2};
   BluetoothProxy *proxy_;
 };
 
diff --git a/esphome/components/bluetooth_proxy/bluetooth_proxy.cpp b/esphome/components/bluetooth_proxy/bluetooth_proxy.cpp
index fe873665e8..629ff41da6 100644
--- a/esphome/components/bluetooth_proxy/bluetooth_proxy.cpp
+++ b/esphome/components/bluetooth_proxy/bluetooth_proxy.cpp
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ namespace esphome {
 namespace bluetooth_proxy {
 
 static const char *const TAG = "bluetooth_proxy";
+static const int DONE_SENDING_SERVICES = -2;
 
 BluetoothProxy::BluetoothProxy() { global_bluetooth_proxy = this; }
 
@@ -77,32 +78,49 @@ void BluetoothProxy::loop() {
     return;
   }
   for (auto *connection : this->connections_) {
-    if (connection->send_service_ == connection->services_.size()) {
-      connection->send_service_ = -1;
+    if (connection->send_service_ == connection->service_count_) {
+      connection->send_service_ = DONE_SENDING_SERVICES;
       api::global_api_server->send_bluetooth_gatt_services_done(connection->get_address());
       if (connection->connection_type_ == espbt::ConnectionType::V3_WITH_CACHE ||
           connection->connection_type_ == espbt::ConnectionType::V3_WITHOUT_CACHE) {
         connection->release_services();
       }
     } else if (connection->send_service_ >= 0) {
-      auto &service = connection->services_[connection->send_service_];
+      esp_gattc_service_elem_t service_result;
+      uint16_t service_count = 1;
+      esp_gatt_status_t service_status =
+          esp_ble_gattc_get_service(connection->get_gattc_if(), connection->get_conn_id(), nullptr, &service_result,
+                                    &service_count, connection->send_service_);
+      connection->send_service_++;
+      if (service_status != ESP_GATT_OK) {
+        ESP_LOGE(TAG, "[%d] [%s] esp_ble_gattc_get_service error at offset=%d, status=%d",
+                 connection->get_connection_index(), connection->address_str().c_str(), connection->send_service_ - 1,
+                 service_status);
+        continue;
+      }
+      if (service_count == 0) {
+        ESP_LOGE(TAG, "[%d] [%s] esp_ble_gattc_get_service missing, service_count=%d",
+                 connection->get_connection_index(), connection->address_str().c_str(), service_count);
+        continue;
+      }
       api::BluetoothGATTGetServicesResponse resp;
       resp.address = connection->get_address();
       api::BluetoothGATTService service_resp;
-      service_resp.uuid = {service->uuid.get_128bit_high(), service->uuid.get_128bit_low()};
-      service_resp.handle = service->start_handle;
+      auto service_uuid = espbt::ESPBTUUID::from_uuid(service_result.uuid);
+      service_resp.uuid = {service_uuid.get_128bit_high(), service_uuid.get_128bit_low()};
+      service_resp.handle = service_result.start_handle;
       uint16_t char_offset = 0;
       esp_gattc_char_elem_t char_result;
       while (true) {  // characteristics
         uint16_t char_count = 1;
-        esp_gatt_status_t char_status =
-            esp_ble_gattc_get_all_char(connection->get_gattc_if(), connection->get_conn_id(), service->start_handle,
-                                       service->end_handle, &char_result, &char_count, char_offset);
+        esp_gatt_status_t char_status = esp_ble_gattc_get_all_char(
+            connection->get_gattc_if(), connection->get_conn_id(), service_result.start_handle,
+            service_result.end_handle, &char_result, &char_count, char_offset);
         if (char_status == ESP_GATT_INVALID_OFFSET || char_status == ESP_GATT_NOT_FOUND) {
           break;
         }
         if (char_status != ESP_GATT_OK) {
-          ESP_LOGW(TAG, "[%d] [%s] esp_ble_gattc_get_all_char error, status=%d", connection->get_connection_index(),
+          ESP_LOGE(TAG, "[%d] [%s] esp_ble_gattc_get_all_char error, status=%d", connection->get_connection_index(),
                    connection->address_str().c_str(), char_status);
           break;
         }
@@ -126,7 +144,7 @@ void BluetoothProxy::loop() {
             break;
           }
           if (desc_status != ESP_GATT_OK) {
-            ESP_LOGW(TAG, "[%d] [%s] esp_ble_gattc_get_all_descr error, status=%d", connection->get_connection_index(),
+            ESP_LOGE(TAG, "[%d] [%s] esp_ble_gattc_get_all_descr error, status=%d", connection->get_connection_index(),
                      connection->address_str().c_str(), desc_status);
             break;
           }
@@ -144,7 +162,6 @@ void BluetoothProxy::loop() {
       }
       resp.services.push_back(std::move(service_resp));
       api::global_api_server->send_bluetooth_gatt_services(resp);
-      connection->send_service_++;
     }
   }
 }
@@ -160,6 +177,7 @@ BluetoothConnection *BluetoothProxy::get_connection_(uint64_t address, bool rese
 
   for (auto *connection : this->connections_) {
     if (connection->get_address() == 0) {
+      connection->send_service_ = DONE_SENDING_SERVICES;
       connection->set_address(address);
       // All connections must start at INIT
       // We only set the state if we allocate the connection
@@ -332,12 +350,13 @@ void BluetoothProxy::bluetooth_gatt_send_services(const api::BluetoothGATTGetSer
     api::global_api_server->send_bluetooth_gatt_error(msg.address, 0, ESP_GATT_NOT_CONNECTED);
     return;
   }
-  if (connection->services_.empty()) {
+  if (!connection->service_count_) {
     ESP_LOGW(TAG, "[%d] [%s] No GATT services found", connection->connection_index_, connection->address_str().c_str());
     api::global_api_server->send_bluetooth_gatt_services_done(msg.address);
     return;
   }
-  if (connection->send_service_ == -1)  // Don't start sending services again if we're already sending them
+  if (connection->send_service_ ==
+      DONE_SENDING_SERVICES)  // Only start sending services if we're not already sending them
     connection->send_service_ = 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/esphome/components/bluetooth_proxy/bluetooth_proxy.h b/esphome/components/bluetooth_proxy/bluetooth_proxy.h
index b1353b13da..5d3b385bec 100644
--- a/esphome/components/bluetooth_proxy/bluetooth_proxy.h
+++ b/esphome/components/bluetooth_proxy/bluetooth_proxy.h
@@ -52,7 +52,6 @@ class BluetoothProxy : public esp32_ble_tracker::ESPBTDeviceListener, public Com
 
   BluetoothConnection *get_connection_(uint64_t address, bool reserve);
 
-  int16_t send_service_{-1};
   bool active_;
 
   std::vector<BluetoothConnection *> connections_{};
diff --git a/esphome/components/esp32_ble_client/ble_client_base.cpp b/esphome/components/esp32_ble_client/ble_client_base.cpp
index 74f030dafd..658f6c464e 100644
--- a/esphome/components/esp32_ble_client/ble_client_base.cpp
+++ b/esphome/components/esp32_ble_client/ble_client_base.cpp
@@ -123,6 +123,7 @@ bool BLEClientBase::gattc_event_handler(esp_gattc_cb_event_t event, esp_gatt_if_
     case ESP_GATTC_OPEN_EVT: {
       ESP_LOGV(TAG, "[%d] [%s] ESP_GATTC_OPEN_EVT", this->connection_index_, this->address_str_.c_str());
       this->conn_id_ = param->open.conn_id;
+      this->service_count_ = 0;
       if (param->open.status != ESP_GATT_OK && param->open.status != ESP_GATT_ALREADY_OPEN) {
         ESP_LOGW(TAG, "[%d] [%s] Connection failed, status=%d", this->connection_index_, this->address_str_.c_str(),
                  param->open.status);
@@ -164,6 +165,12 @@ bool BLEClientBase::gattc_event_handler(esp_gattc_cb_event_t event, esp_gatt_if_
       break;
     }
     case ESP_GATTC_SEARCH_RES_EVT: {
+      this->service_count_++;
+      if (this->connection_type_ == espbt::ConnectionType::V3_WITHOUT_CACHE) {
+        // V3 clients don't need services initialized since
+        // they only request by handle after receiving the services.
+        break;
+      }
       BLEService *ble_service = new BLEService();  // NOLINT(cppcoreguidelines-owning-memory)
       ble_service->uuid = espbt::ESPBTUUID::from_uuid(param->search_res.srvc_id.uuid);
       ble_service->start_handle = param->search_res.start_handle;
diff --git a/esphome/components/esp32_ble_client/ble_client_base.h b/esphome/components/esp32_ble_client/ble_client_base.h
index f536c24d98..9adf239512 100644
--- a/esphome/components/esp32_ble_client/ble_client_base.h
+++ b/esphome/components/esp32_ble_client/ble_client_base.h
@@ -84,6 +84,7 @@ class BLEClientBase : public espbt::ESPBTClient, public Component {
   uint64_t address_{0};
   std::string address_str_{};
   uint8_t connection_index_;
+  int16_t service_count_{0};
   uint16_t mtu_{23};
   espbt::ConnectionType connection_type_{espbt::ConnectionType::V1};