diff --git a/esphome/components/script/script.h b/esphome/components/script/script.h
index 3b97327da8..a6b208167f 100644
--- a/esphome/components/script/script.h
+++ b/esphome/components/script/script.h
@@ -53,41 +53,34 @@ template<typename... Ts> class ScriptWaitAction : public Action<Ts...>, public C
  public:
   ScriptWaitAction(Script *script) : script_(script) {}
 
-  void play(Ts... x) { /* ignore - see play_complex */
+  void play(Ts... x) override { /* ignore - see play_complex */
   }
 
   void play_complex(Ts... x) override {
+    this->num_running_++;
     // Check if we can continue immediately.
     if (!this->script_->is_running()) {
-      this->triggered_ = false;
       this->play_next(x...);
       return;
     }
     this->var_ = std::make_tuple(x...);
-    this->triggered_ = true;
     this->loop();
   }
 
-  void stop() override { this->triggered_ = false; }
-
   void loop() override {
-    if (!this->triggered_)
+    if (this->num_running_ == 0)
       return;
 
     if (this->script_->is_running())
       return;
 
-    this->triggered_ = false;
     this->play_next_tuple(this->var_);
   }
 
   float get_setup_priority() const override { return setup_priority::DATA; }
 
-  bool is_running() override { return this->triggered_ || this->is_running_next(); }
-
  protected:
   Script *script_;
-  bool triggered_{false};
   std::tuple<Ts...> var_{};
 };
 
diff --git a/esphome/core/automation.h b/esphome/core/automation.h
index cbe96a749e..6e595fc458 100644
--- a/esphome/core/automation.h
+++ b/esphome/core/automation.h
@@ -77,17 +77,24 @@ template<typename... Ts> class Action {
  public:
   virtual void play(Ts... x) = 0;
   virtual void play_complex(Ts... x) {
+    this->num_running_++;
     this->play(x...);
     this->play_next(x...);
   }
   void play_next(Ts... x) {
-    if (this->next_ != nullptr) {
-      this->next_->play_complex(x...);
+    if (this->num_running_ > 0) {
+      this->num_running_--;
+      if (this->next_ != nullptr) {
+        this->next_->play_complex(x...);
+      }
     }
   }
   virtual void stop() {}
   virtual void stop_complex() {
-    this->stop();
+    if (num_running_) {
+      this->stop();
+      this->num_running_ = 0;
+    }
     this->stop_next();
   }
   void stop_next() {
@@ -95,7 +102,7 @@ template<typename... Ts> class Action {
       this->next_->stop_complex();
     }
   }
-  virtual bool is_running() { return this->is_running_next(); }
+  virtual bool is_running() { return this->num_running_ > 0 || this->is_running_next(); }
   bool is_running_next() {
     if (this->next_ == nullptr)
       return false;
@@ -114,6 +121,8 @@ template<typename... Ts> class Action {
   }
 
   Action<Ts...> *next_ = nullptr;
+
+  int num_running_{0};
 };
 
 template<typename... Ts> class ActionList {
diff --git a/esphome/core/base_automation.h b/esphome/core/base_automation.h
index add3df0bb5..bd34009790 100644
--- a/esphome/core/base_automation.h
+++ b/esphome/core/base_automation.h
@@ -110,27 +110,17 @@ template<typename... Ts> class DelayAction : public Action<Ts...>, public Compon
 
   void stop() override {
     this->cancel_timeout("");
-    this->num_running_ = 0;
   }
 
   void play(Ts... x) override { /* ignore - see play_complex */
   }
 
   void play_complex(Ts... x) override {
-    auto f = std::bind(&DelayAction<Ts...>::delay_end_, this, x...);
+    auto f = std::bind(&Action<Ts...>::play_next, this, x...);
     this->num_running_++;
     this->set_timeout(this->delay_.value(x...), f);
   }
   float get_setup_priority() const override { return setup_priority::HARDWARE; }
-
-  bool is_running() override { return this->num_running_ > 0 || this->is_running_next(); }
-
- protected:
-  void delay_end_(Ts... x) {
-    this->num_running_--;
-    this->play_next(x...);
-  }
-  int num_running_{0};
 };
 
 template<typename... Ts> class LambdaAction : public Action<Ts...> {
@@ -160,17 +150,18 @@ template<typename... Ts> class IfAction : public Action<Ts...> {
   }
 
   void play_complex(Ts... x) override {
+    this->num_running_++;
     bool res = this->condition_->check(x...);
     if (res) {
       if (this->then_.empty()) {
         this->play_next(x...);
-      } else {
+      } else if (this->num_running_ > 0) {
         this->then_.play(x...);
       }
     } else {
       if (this->else_.empty()) {
         this->play_next(x...);
-      } else {
+      } else if (this->num_running_ > 0) {
         this->else_.play(x...);
       }
     }
@@ -181,8 +172,6 @@ template<typename... Ts> class IfAction : public Action<Ts...> {
     this->else_.stop();
   }
 
-  bool is_running() override { return this->then_.is_running() || this->else_.is_running() || this->is_running_next(); }
-
  protected:
   Condition<Ts...> *condition_;
   ActionList<Ts...> then_;
@@ -196,9 +185,11 @@ template<typename... Ts> class WhileAction : public Action<Ts...> {
   void add_then(const std::vector<Action<Ts...> *> &actions) {
     this->then_.add_actions(actions);
     this->then_.add_action(new LambdaAction<Ts...>([this](Ts... x) {
-      if (this->condition_->check_tuple(this->var_)) {
+      if (this->num_running_ > 0 && this->condition_->check_tuple(this->var_)) {
         // play again
-        this->then_.play_tuple(this->var_);
+        if (this->num_running_ > 0) {
+          this->then_.play_tuple(this->var_);
+        }
       } else {
         // condition false, play next
         this->play_next_tuple(this->var_);
@@ -210,6 +201,7 @@ template<typename... Ts> class WhileAction : public Action<Ts...> {
   }
 
   void play_complex(Ts... x) override {
+    this->num_running_++;
     // Store loop parameters
     this->var_ = std::make_tuple(x...);
     // Initial condition check
@@ -220,13 +212,13 @@ template<typename... Ts> class WhileAction : public Action<Ts...> {
       return;
     }
 
-    this->then_.play_tuple(this->var_);
+    if (this->num_running_ > 0) {
+      this->then_.play_tuple(this->var_);
+    }
   }
 
   void stop() override { this->then_.stop(); }
 
-  bool is_running() override { return this->then_.is_running() || this->is_running_next(); }
-
  protected:
   Condition<Ts...> *condition_;
   ActionList<Ts...> then_;
@@ -237,42 +229,37 @@ template<typename... Ts> class WaitUntilAction : public Action<Ts...>, public Co
  public:
   WaitUntilAction(Condition<Ts...> *condition) : condition_(condition) {}
 
-  void play(Ts... x) { /* ignore - see play_complex */
+  void play(Ts... x) override { /* ignore - see play_complex */
   }
 
   void play_complex(Ts... x) override {
+    this->num_running_++;
     // Check if we can continue immediately.
     if (this->condition_->check(x...)) {
-      this->triggered_ = false;
-      this->play_next(x...);
+      if (this->num_running_ > 0) {
+        this->play_next(x...);
+      }
       return;
     }
     this->var_ = std::make_tuple(x...);
-    this->triggered_ = true;
     this->loop();
   }
 
-  void stop() override { this->triggered_ = false; }
-
   void loop() override {
-    if (!this->triggered_)
+    if (this->num_running_ == 0)
       return;
 
     if (!this->condition_->check_tuple(this->var_)) {
       return;
     }
 
-    this->triggered_ = false;
     this->play_next_tuple(this->var_);
   }
 
   float get_setup_priority() const override { return setup_priority::DATA; }
 
-  bool is_running() override { return this->triggered_ || this->is_running_next(); }
-
  protected:
   Condition<Ts...> *condition_;
-  bool triggered_{false};
   std::tuple<Ts...> var_{};
 };