diff --git a/esphome/components/esp32/gpio.py b/esphome/components/esp32/gpio.py
index a7180cbcd7..36dd44155a 100644
--- a/esphome/components/esp32/gpio.py
+++ b/esphome/components/esp32/gpio.py
@@ -172,10 +172,16 @@ def validate_gpio_pin(pin):
             exc,
         )
     else:
-        # Throw an exception if used for a pin that would not have resulted
-        # in a validation error anyway!
+        # `ignore_pin_validation_error` only suppresses an error raised by the
+        # variant's pin_validation above (e.g. SPI flash/PSRAM pins, invalid pin
+        # numbers). If that didn't raise, the option is a no-op -- warn so the
+        # user can clean it up, but don't block the build.
         if ignore_pin_validation_warning:
-            raise cv.Invalid(f"GPIO{pin[CONF_NUMBER]} is not a reserved pin")
+            _LOGGER.warning(
+                "GPIO%d has no validation errors to ignore; "
+                "remove `ignore_pin_validation_error: true` from this pin.",
+                pin[CONF_NUMBER],
+            )
 
     return pin
 
diff --git a/tests/component_tests/esp32/test_esp32.py b/tests/component_tests/esp32/test_esp32.py
index bd4f9828ce..ac492e2752 100644
--- a/tests/component_tests/esp32/test_esp32.py
+++ b/tests/component_tests/esp32/test_esp32.py
@@ -8,10 +8,16 @@ from typing import Any
 
 import pytest
 
-from esphome.components.esp32 import VARIANTS
-from esphome.components.esp32.const import KEY_ESP32, KEY_SDKCONFIG_OPTIONS
+from esphome.components.esp32 import VARIANT_ESP32, VARIANTS
+from esphome.components.esp32.const import KEY_ESP32, KEY_SDKCONFIG_OPTIONS, KEY_VARIANT
+from esphome.components.esp32.gpio import validate_gpio_pin
 import esphome.config_validation as cv
-from esphome.const import CONF_ESPHOME, PlatformFramework
+from esphome.const import (
+    CONF_ESPHOME,
+    CONF_IGNORE_PIN_VALIDATION_ERROR,
+    CONF_NUMBER,
+    PlatformFramework,
+)
 from esphome.core import CORE
 from tests.component_tests.types import SetCoreConfigCallable
 
@@ -149,6 +155,73 @@ def test_execute_from_psram_p4_sdkconfig(
     assert "CONFIG_SPIRAM_RODATA" not in sdkconfig
 
 
+def test_ignore_pin_validation_error_on_clean_pin_warns(
+    set_core_config: SetCoreConfigCallable,
+    caplog: pytest.LogCaptureFixture,
+) -> None:
+    """A pin that passes validation but sets `ignore_pin_validation_error: true`
+    should log a warning nudging the user to remove the flag, and not raise."""
+    set_core_config(
+        PlatformFramework.ESP32_IDF, platform_data={KEY_VARIANT: VARIANT_ESP32}
+    )
+
+    pin = {CONF_NUMBER: 4, CONF_IGNORE_PIN_VALIDATION_ERROR: True}
+    with caplog.at_level("WARNING"):
+        result = validate_gpio_pin(pin)
+
+    assert result[CONF_NUMBER] == 4
+    assert "GPIO4 has no validation errors to ignore" in caplog.text
+
+
+def test_ignore_pin_validation_error_on_dirty_pin_suppresses(
+    set_core_config: SetCoreConfigCallable,
+    caplog: pytest.LogCaptureFixture,
+) -> None:
+    """A pin that fails validation with `ignore_pin_validation_error: true` should
+    log the suppression warning and not raise (existing behavior)."""
+    set_core_config(
+        PlatformFramework.ESP32_IDF, platform_data={KEY_VARIANT: VARIANT_ESP32}
+    )
+
+    # GPIO6 is a flash pin on ESP32 -> pin_validation raises cv.Invalid
+    pin = {CONF_NUMBER: 6, CONF_IGNORE_PIN_VALIDATION_ERROR: True}
+    with caplog.at_level("WARNING"):
+        result = validate_gpio_pin(pin)
+
+    assert result[CONF_NUMBER] == 6
+    assert "Ignoring validation error on pin 6" in caplog.text
+
+
+def test_dirty_pin_without_ignore_flag_raises(
+    set_core_config: SetCoreConfigCallable,
+) -> None:
+    """A pin that fails validation without the ignore flag should still raise."""
+    set_core_config(
+        PlatformFramework.ESP32_IDF, platform_data={KEY_VARIANT: VARIANT_ESP32}
+    )
+
+    pin = {CONF_NUMBER: 6, CONF_IGNORE_PIN_VALIDATION_ERROR: False}
+    with pytest.raises(cv.Invalid, match="flash interface"):
+        validate_gpio_pin(pin)
+
+
+def test_clean_pin_without_ignore_flag_does_not_warn(
+    set_core_config: SetCoreConfigCallable,
+    caplog: pytest.LogCaptureFixture,
+) -> None:
+    """A clean pin without the ignore flag should pass silently."""
+    set_core_config(
+        PlatformFramework.ESP32_IDF, platform_data={KEY_VARIANT: VARIANT_ESP32}
+    )
+
+    pin = {CONF_NUMBER: 4, CONF_IGNORE_PIN_VALIDATION_ERROR: False}
+    with caplog.at_level("WARNING"):
+        result = validate_gpio_pin(pin)
+
+    assert result[CONF_NUMBER] == 4
+    assert "has no validation errors to ignore" not in caplog.text
+
+
 def test_execute_from_psram_disabled_sdkconfig(
     generate_main: Callable[[str | Path], str],
     component_config_path: Callable[[str], Path],