diff --git a/esphome/components/esp32_ble_tracker/esp32_ble_tracker.cpp b/esphome/components/esp32_ble_tracker/esp32_ble_tracker.cpp
index c7f2319d69d..f57cb7f5dc5 100644
--- a/esphome/components/esp32_ble_tracker/esp32_ble_tracker.cpp
+++ b/esphome/components/esp32_ble_tracker/esp32_ble_tracker.cpp
@@ -166,8 +166,9 @@ void ESP32BLETracker::loop() {
   ClientStateCounts counts = this->count_client_states_();
   if (counts != this->client_state_counts_) {
     this->client_state_counts_ = counts;
-    ESP_LOGD(TAG, "connecting: %d, discovered: %d, disconnecting: %d", this->client_state_counts_.connecting,
-             this->client_state_counts_.discovered, this->client_state_counts_.disconnecting);
+    ESP_LOGD(TAG, "connecting: %d, discovered: %d, disconnecting: %d, active: %d",
+             this->client_state_counts_.connecting, this->client_state_counts_.discovered,
+             this->client_state_counts_.disconnecting, this->client_state_counts_.active);
   }
 
   // Scanner failure: reached when set_scanner_state_(FAILED) or scan_set_param_failed_ set
@@ -190,10 +191,18 @@ void ESP32BLETracker::loop() {
   */
 
   // Start scan: reached when scanner_state_ becomes IDLE (via set_scanner_state_()) and
-  // all clients are idle (their state changes increment version when they finish)
+  // no clients are in the transient CONNECTING / DISCOVERED / DISCONNECTING states
+  // (their state changes increment version when they finish). CONNECTED / ESTABLISHED
+  // clients do NOT block this branch — the coex revert below has its own active-count gate.
   if (this->scanner_state_ == ScannerState::IDLE && !counts.connecting && !counts.disconnecting && !counts.discovered) {
 #ifdef USE_ESP32_BLE_SOFTWARE_COEXISTENCE
-    this->update_coex_preference_(false);
+    // Only revert to BALANCE when no connections are active. Established connections
+    // continue to need PREFER_BT so peer GATT responses can reach us while WiFi traffic
+    // (advertisement upload, log streaming) competes for the shared radio. Reverting too
+    // early causes Bluedroid to time out at ~20s and synthesize status=133.
+    if (!counts.active) {
+      this->update_coex_preference_(false);
+    }
 #endif
     if (this->scan_continuous_) {
       this->start_scan_(false);  // first = false
@@ -701,9 +710,10 @@ void ESP32BLETracker::dump_config() {
                 this->scan_active_ ? "ACTIVE" : "PASSIVE", YESNO(this->scan_continuous_));
   ESP_LOGCONFIG(TAG,
                 "  Scanner State: %s\n"
-                "  Connecting: %d, discovered: %d, disconnecting: %d",
+                "  Connecting: %d, discovered: %d, disconnecting: %d, active: %d",
                 this->scanner_state_to_string_(this->scanner_state_), this->client_state_counts_.connecting,
-                this->client_state_counts_.discovered, this->client_state_counts_.disconnecting);
+                this->client_state_counts_.discovered, this->client_state_counts_.disconnecting,
+                this->client_state_counts_.active);
   if (this->scan_start_fail_count_) {
     ESP_LOGCONFIG(TAG, "  Scan Start Fail Count: %d", this->scan_start_fail_count_);
   }
diff --git a/esphome/components/esp32_ble_tracker/esp32_ble_tracker.h b/esphome/components/esp32_ble_tracker/esp32_ble_tracker.h
index 43405b02b7f..78ff60f3741 100644
--- a/esphome/components/esp32_ble_tracker/esp32_ble_tracker.h
+++ b/esphome/components/esp32_ble_tracker/esp32_ble_tracker.h
@@ -160,9 +160,13 @@ struct ClientStateCounts {
   uint8_t connecting = 0;
   uint8_t discovered = 0;
   uint8_t disconnecting = 0;
+  // CONNECTED + ESTABLISHED clients. Tracked so coex stays at PREFER_BT
+  // while active connections may still need to send/receive GATT traffic.
+  uint8_t active = 0;
 
   bool operator==(const ClientStateCounts &other) const {
-    return connecting == other.connecting && discovered == other.discovered && disconnecting == other.disconnecting;
+    return connecting == other.connecting && discovered == other.discovered && disconnecting == other.disconnecting &&
+           active == other.active;
   }
 
   bool operator!=(const ClientStateCounts &other) const { return !(*this == other); }
@@ -381,6 +385,10 @@ class ESP32BLETracker : public Component,
         case ClientState::CONNECTING:
           counts.connecting++;
           break;
+        case ClientState::CONNECTED:
+        case ClientState::ESTABLISHED:
+          counts.active++;
+          break;
         default:
           break;
       }