diff --git a/esphome/components/esp32_ble/ble.cpp b/esphome/components/esp32_ble/ble.cpp
index 7fa5370072d..ff9d9bb15aa 100644
--- a/esphome/components/esp32_ble/ble.cpp
+++ b/esphome/components/esp32_ble/ble.cpp
@@ -727,17 +727,6 @@ void ESP32BLE::dump_config() {
   }
 }
 
-uint64_t ble_addr_to_uint64(const esp_bd_addr_t address) {
-  uint64_t u = 0;
-  u |= uint64_t(address[0] & 0xFF) << 40;
-  u |= uint64_t(address[1] & 0xFF) << 32;
-  u |= uint64_t(address[2] & 0xFF) << 24;
-  u |= uint64_t(address[3] & 0xFF) << 16;
-  u |= uint64_t(address[4] & 0xFF) << 8;
-  u |= uint64_t(address[5] & 0xFF) << 0;
-  return u;
-}
-
 ESP32BLE *global_ble = nullptr;  // NOLINT(cppcoreguidelines-avoid-non-const-global-variables)
 
 }  // namespace esphome::esp32_ble
diff --git a/esphome/components/esp32_ble/ble.h b/esphome/components/esp32_ble/ble.h
index 2ce17e97be0..04bec3f7858 100644
--- a/esphome/components/esp32_ble/ble.h
+++ b/esphome/components/esp32_ble/ble.h
@@ -35,7 +35,16 @@ static constexpr uint8_t MAX_BLE_QUEUE_SIZE = 100;  // 64 + 36 (ring buffer size
 static constexpr uint8_t MAX_BLE_QUEUE_SIZE = 88;  // 64 + 24 (ring buffer size without PSRAM)
 #endif
 
-uint64_t ble_addr_to_uint64(const esp_bd_addr_t address);
+inline uint64_t ble_addr_to_uint64(const esp_bd_addr_t address) {
+  uint64_t u = 0;
+  u |= uint64_t(address[0] & 0xFF) << 40;
+  u |= uint64_t(address[1] & 0xFF) << 32;
+  u |= uint64_t(address[2] & 0xFF) << 24;
+  u |= uint64_t(address[3] & 0xFF) << 16;
+  u |= uint64_t(address[4] & 0xFF) << 8;
+  u |= uint64_t(address[5] & 0xFF) << 0;
+  return u;
+}
 
 // NOLINTNEXTLINE(modernize-use-using)
 typedef struct {