diff --git a/esphome/espidf/framework.py b/esphome/espidf/framework.py
index 18aa966bff1..b8e0d4cfca7 100644
--- a/esphome/espidf/framework.py
+++ b/esphome/espidf/framework.py
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 """ESP-IDF framework tools for ESPHome."""
 
+from ctypes.util import find_library
 import json
 import logging
 import os
@@ -668,6 +669,14 @@ def _check_esphome_idf_framework_install(
             env=env,
             stream_output=True,
         ):
+            if platform.system() == "Linux" and find_library("usb-1.0") is None:
+                _LOGGER.error(
+                    "libusb-1.0.so.0 was not found on this system and the ESP-IDF "
+                    "tools need it (openocd fails its install check without it). "
+                    "Install the libusb 1.0 package, e.g. libusb-1.0-0 "
+                    "(Debian/Ubuntu), libusb1 (Fedora) or libusb (Alpine/Arch), "
+                    "then run the build again."
+                )
             raise RuntimeError(f"ESP-IDF {version} framework installation failure")
 
         _write_stamp(env_stamp_file, stamp_info)
diff --git a/tests/unit_tests/test_espidf_framework.py b/tests/unit_tests/test_espidf_framework.py
index de02a6b227e..a1af5ae54c4 100644
--- a/tests/unit_tests/test_espidf_framework.py
+++ b/tests/unit_tests/test_espidf_framework.py
@@ -478,6 +478,34 @@ def test_check_esp_idf_install_python_stamp_mismatch_rebuilds_venv(
     espidf_mocks.venv.assert_called_once()
 
 
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    ("lib", "expect_hint"),
+    [
+        (None, True),
+        ("libusb-1.0.so.0", False),
+    ],
+)
+def test_check_esp_idf_install_failure_libusb_hint(
+    espidf_mocks: SimpleNamespace,
+    caplog: pytest.LogCaptureFixture,
+    lib: str | None,
+    expect_hint: bool,
+) -> None:
+    """A failed tools install only shows the libusb hint when libusb-1.0 is
+    actually missing."""
+    espidf_mocks.run_ok.return_value = False
+    # Fake Linux so the gate is exercised on all CI hosts; faking Linux is safe
+    # everywhere (unlike faking Windows, which pulls in winreg on other hosts)
+    with (
+        patch("esphome.espidf.framework.find_library", return_value=lib),
+        patch("esphome.espidf.framework.platform.system", return_value="Linux"),
+        caplog.at_level(logging.ERROR, logger="esphome.espidf.framework"),
+        pytest.raises(RuntimeError, match="framework installation failure"),
+    ):
+        check_esp_idf_install(_IDF_VERSION, force=True)
+    assert ("libusb-1.0.so.0 was not found" in caplog.text) == expect_hint
+
+
 def test_check_esp_idf_install_unparseable_version(
     espidf_mocks: SimpleNamespace,
 ) -> None: