diff --git a/esphome/components/esp32_ble_tracker/__init__.py b/esphome/components/esp32_ble_tracker/__init__.py
index 69d46bf5f27..3a4a1f39803 100644
--- a/esphome/components/esp32_ble_tracker/__init__.py
+++ b/esphome/components/esp32_ble_tracker/__init__.py
@@ -443,15 +443,13 @@ async def to_code(config: ConfigType) -> None:
         cg.add_define("USE_ESP32_BLE_SOFTWARE_COEXISTENCE")
 
 
-# First release per series with espressif/esp-idf@82e71c1767 (see bluedroid_stubs.cpp).
-# 5.4.5, 5.5.6 and 6.1.1 are not tagged yet but the fix is on their branches.
+# First tagged release per series with espressif/esp-idf@82e71c1767 (see bluedroid_stubs.cpp).
+# A series without an entry keeps the guard until a fixed release is tagged; the guard is
+# harmless on fixed sources. The 5.4, 5.5 and 6.1 branches carry the fix but have no tag yet.
 DIRECT_CONN_FIX_VERSIONS = {
     (5, 2): cv.Version(5, 2, 8),
     (5, 3): cv.Version(5, 3, 6),
-    (5, 4): cv.Version(5, 4, 5),
-    (5, 5): cv.Version(5, 5, 6),
     (6, 0): cv.Version(6, 0, 3),
-    (6, 1): cv.Version(6, 1, 1),
 }
 DIRECT_CONN_FIX_ALL_FROM = cv.Version(6, 2, 0)
 
diff --git a/esphome/components/esp32_ble_tracker/bluedroid_stubs.cpp b/esphome/components/esp32_ble_tracker/bluedroid_stubs.cpp
index a013942aa69..5cedc22d069 100644
--- a/esphome/components/esp32_ble_tracker/bluedroid_stubs.cpp
+++ b/esphome/components/esp32_ble_tracker/bluedroid_stubs.cpp
@@ -11,10 +11,13 @@
 #ifdef USE_ESP32_BLE_TRACKER_DIRECT_CONN_GUARD
 
 #include <esp_idf_version.h>
+#include <cstdint>
+#include "esphome/core/log.h"
 
-namespace esphome::esp32_ble_tracker {}
+namespace esphome::esp32_ble_tracker {
+static const char *const TAG = "esp32_ble_tracker";
+}  // namespace esphome::esp32_ble_tracker
 
-// in_use is the first member of the private tL2C_LCB (checked ESP-IDF 5.0 to 6.1)
 static_assert(ESP_IDF_VERSION < ESP_IDF_VERSION_VAL(6, 2, 0),
               "ESP-IDF 6.2 and later have the fix, this guard should not be enabled (esphome/esphome#19373)");
 
@@ -25,12 +28,15 @@ bool __real_l2cble_init_direct_conn(void *p_lcb);
 void l2cu_release_lcb(void *p_lcb);
 
 bool __wrap_l2cble_init_direct_conn(void *p_lcb) {
-  if (p_lcb == nullptr || !*static_cast<const bool *>(p_lcb)) {
+  // in_use is the first member of the private tL2C_LCB (checked ESP-IDF 5.0 to 6.1)
+  const auto *in_use = static_cast<const uint8_t *>(p_lcb);
+  if (p_lcb == nullptr || *in_use == 0) {
+    ESP_LOGW(esphome::esp32_ble_tracker::TAG, "Dropped queued connect on a released link block");
     return false;
   }
   const bool started = __real_l2cble_init_direct_conn(p_lcb);
   // Every failure path releases the block except unknown device, also fixed upstream
-  if (!started && *static_cast<const bool *>(p_lcb)) {
+  if (!started && *in_use != 0) {
     l2cu_release_lcb(p_lcb);
   }
   return started;
diff --git a/tests/component_tests/esp32_ble_tracker/test_direct_conn_guard.py b/tests/component_tests/esp32_ble_tracker/test_direct_conn_guard.py
index a58d2302fbf..d3aa2ba8787 100644
--- a/tests/component_tests/esp32_ble_tracker/test_direct_conn_guard.py
+++ b/tests/component_tests/esp32_ble_tracker/test_direct_conn_guard.py
@@ -55,13 +55,13 @@ def test_guard_only_in_client_builds_on_unfixed_idf(
         ("5.3.5", True),
         ("5.3.6", False),
         ("5.4.4", True),
-        ("5.4.5", False),
+        ("5.4.5", True),  # no fixed 5.4, 5.5 or 6.1 tag yet
         ("5.5.5", True),
-        ("5.5.6", False),
+        ("5.5.6", True),
         ("6.0.2", True),
         ("6.0.3", False),
         ("6.1.0", True),
-        ("6.1.1", False),
+        ("6.1.1", True),
         ("6.2.0", False),
         ("7.0.0", False),
     ],