diff --git a/script/determine-jobs.py b/script/determine-jobs.py
index 8193fa9050..b8f324784d 100755
--- a/script/determine-jobs.py
+++ b/script/determine-jobs.py
@@ -457,9 +457,15 @@ def should_run_device_builder(branch: str | None = None) -> bool:
     """Determine if downstream esphome/device-builder tests should run.
 
     device-builder imports esphome as a library, so whenever the importable
-    Python surface or the runtime dependencies change we re-run its test
-    suite against the PR's code to catch breakage we'd otherwise only see
-    after a release.
+    Python surface, the runtime dependencies, or any non-C++ file packaged
+    with esphome (pyproject.toml has ``include-package-data = true``, so
+    things like esphome/idf_component.yml ship and can affect installs)
+    changes we re-run its test suite against the PR's code to catch
+    breakage we'd otherwise only see after a release.
+
+    Skipped on beta/release branches: those branches typically lag behind
+    device-builder@main, so a new device-builder API dependency would
+    falsely fail the run without reflecting any problem in the PR itself.
 
     Args:
         branch: Branch to compare against. If None, uses default.
@@ -467,11 +473,22 @@ def should_run_device_builder(branch: str | None = None) -> bool:
     Returns:
         True if the device-builder downstream tests should run, False otherwise.
     """
+    target_branch = get_target_branch()
+    if target_branch and (
+        target_branch.startswith("release") or target_branch.startswith("beta")
+    ):
+        return False
+
     for file in changed_files(branch):
-        if file.startswith("esphome/") and file.endswith(PYTHON_FILE_EXTENSIONS):
-            return True
         if file in DEVICE_BUILDER_TRIGGER_FILES:
             return True
+        # Anything under esphome/ that isn't C++ source can change the
+        # importable / packaged surface device-builder consumes
+        # (Python sources, packaged YAML/JSON like idf_component.yml,
+        # etc.). C++ files only affect compiled firmware, not the
+        # Python install device-builder pulls in.
+        if file.startswith("esphome/") and not file.endswith(CPP_FILE_EXTENSIONS):
+            return True
     return False
 
 
diff --git a/tests/script/test_determine_jobs.py b/tests/script/test_determine_jobs.py
index 75a6d42f8e..cc795bc553 100644
--- a/tests/script/test_determine_jobs.py
+++ b/tests/script/test_determine_jobs.py
@@ -762,17 +762,27 @@ def test_should_run_import_time_with_branch() -> None:
         # Runtime dependency changes trigger
         (["requirements.txt"], True),
         (["pyproject.toml"], True),
+        # Non-C++ files packaged with esphome trigger -- device-builder
+        # picks them up because esphome's pyproject sets
+        # include-package-data = true.
+        (["esphome/idf_component.yml"], True),
+        (["esphome/dashboard/templates/index.html"], True),
+        (["esphome/components/api/api_pb2_service.json"], True),
         # Mixed: any triggering file is enough
         (["docs/README.md", "esphome/config.py"], True),
         # Dev/test-only dependency changes don't trigger device-builder
         # (they don't affect the importable surface device-builder uses)
         (["requirements_dev.txt"], False),
         (["requirements_test.txt"], False),
-        # Python files outside esphome/ don't trigger
+        # Files outside esphome/ don't trigger
         (["script/some_other_script.py"], False),
         (["tests/script/test_determine_jobs.py"], False),
-        # Non-Python changes don't trigger
+        # C++ files under esphome/ don't trigger -- they only affect
+        # compiled firmware, not the Python install device-builder pulls in.
         (["esphome/core/component.cpp"], False),
+        (["esphome/core/component.h"], False),
+        (["esphome/components/wifi/wifi_component.cpp"], False),
+        # Files outside esphome/ entirely
         (["tests/components/wifi/test.esp32-idf.yaml"], False),
         (["README.md"], False),
         ([], False),
@@ -781,20 +791,42 @@ def test_should_run_import_time_with_branch() -> None:
 def test_should_run_device_builder(
     changed_files: list[str], expected_result: bool
 ) -> None:
-    """Test should_run_device_builder function."""
-    with patch.object(determine_jobs, "changed_files", return_value=changed_files):
+    """Test should_run_device_builder function (non-beta/release target)."""
+    with (
+        patch.object(determine_jobs, "changed_files", return_value=changed_files),
+        # Mock target branch to "dev" so the beta/release skip is bypassed
+        # for these per-file behavior checks.
+        patch.object(determine_jobs, "get_target_branch", return_value="dev"),
+    ):
         result = determine_jobs.should_run_device_builder()
         assert result == expected_result
 
 
 def test_should_run_device_builder_with_branch() -> None:
     """Test should_run_device_builder with branch argument."""
-    with patch.object(determine_jobs, "changed_files") as mock_changed:
+    with (
+        patch.object(determine_jobs, "changed_files") as mock_changed,
+        patch.object(determine_jobs, "get_target_branch", return_value="dev"),
+    ):
         mock_changed.return_value = []
         determine_jobs.should_run_device_builder("release")
         mock_changed.assert_called_once_with("release")
 
 
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("target_branch", ["beta", "release", "release-2026.5"])
+def test_should_run_device_builder_skips_beta_release(target_branch: str) -> None:
+    """Beta/release target branches skip device-builder (lag behind device-builder@main)."""
+    with (
+        patch.object(determine_jobs, "get_target_branch", return_value=target_branch),
+        patch.object(determine_jobs, "changed_files") as mock_changed,
+    ):
+        # Even with a triggering file present, the target-branch guard wins.
+        mock_changed.return_value = ["esphome/__main__.py"]
+        assert determine_jobs.should_run_device_builder() is False
+        # changed_files shouldn't even be consulted -- the guard short-circuits.
+        mock_changed.assert_not_called()
+
+
 @pytest.mark.parametrize(
     ("changed_files", "expected_result"),
     [