diff --git a/esphome/components/light/automation.h b/esphome/components/light/automation.h
index c3451332649..3bd0d5afbd7 100644
--- a/esphome/components/light/automation.h
+++ b/esphome/components/light/automation.h
@@ -37,13 +37,16 @@ template<bool HasTransitionLength, typename... Ts> class ToggleAction : public A
 // Trigger args are forwarded to the apply function so user lambdas
 // (e.g. `brightness: !lambda "return x;"`) keep working.
 //
-// Trigger args are forwarded as `const std::remove_reference_t<Ts> &...`
-// (instead of `const Ts &...`) so codegen can emit the same form in the
-// apply lambda's parameter list without producing `const T & &` for
-// triggers whose Ts already carries a reference (e.g. `std::string &`).
+// Trigger args are forwarded as `Ts...`. The previous `const Ts &...`
+// form caused codegen to emit `const T &` for each arg in the apply
+// lambda's parameter list, which is invalid C++ source text when T is
+// already a reference (e.g. `const std::string & &` for triggers that
+// pass `std::string &`). Forwarding `Ts...` lets the codegen reuse the
+// trigger's `args` types unchanged for both the apply lambda and any
+// inner field lambdas, so they always type-match.
 template<typename... Ts> class LightControlAction : public Action<Ts...> {
  public:
-  using ApplyFn = void (*)(LightState *, LightCall &, const std::remove_reference_t<Ts> &...);
+  using ApplyFn = void (*)(LightState *, LightCall &, Ts...);
   LightControlAction(LightState *parent, ApplyFn apply) : parent_(parent), apply_(apply) {}
 
   void play(const Ts &...x) override {
diff --git a/esphome/components/light/automation.py b/esphome/components/light/automation.py
index 3a086c68c38..c796b97db06 100644
--- a/esphome/components/light/automation.py
+++ b/esphome/components/light/automation.py
@@ -230,16 +230,13 @@ async def light_control_to_code(config, action_id, template_arg, args):
                 f"call.set_effect(static_cast<uint32_t>({_resolve_effect_index(config)}));"
             )
 
-    # Match LightControlAction::ApplyFn signature: `const std::remove_reference_t<T> &`
-    # for each trigger arg so non-reference Ts stay no-copy (`const T &`) and
-    # reference Ts collapse correctly without producing `const T & &`.
+    # Match LightControlAction::ApplyFn signature: forward trigger args as Ts...
+    # so the apply lambda's parameter types match both ApplyFn and the
+    # inner field lambdas (which are generated from `args` directly).
     apply_args = [
         (LightState.operator("ptr"), "parent"),
         (LightCall.operator("ref"), "call"),
-        *(
-            (cg.RawExpression(f"const std::remove_reference_t<{cg.safe_exp(t)}> &"), n)
-            for t, n in args
-        ),
+        *args,
     ]
     apply_lambda = LambdaExpression(
         ["\n".join(body_lines)],