diff --git a/homeassistant/const.py b/homeassistant/const.py
index 6e9954578b2..4bc5e189cf2 100644
--- a/homeassistant/const.py
+++ b/homeassistant/const.py
@@ -224,7 +224,6 @@ CONF_RESOURCE: Final = "resource"
 CONF_RESOURCE_TEMPLATE: Final = "resource_template"
 CONF_RESOURCES: Final = "resources"
 CONF_RESPONSE_VARIABLE: Final = "response_variable"
-CONF_RESPONSE: Final = "response"
 CONF_RGB: Final = "rgb"
 CONF_ROOM: Final = "room"
 CONF_SCAN_INTERVAL: Final = "scan_interval"
diff --git a/homeassistant/helpers/config_validation.py b/homeassistant/helpers/config_validation.py
index 393e11d9bbd..2f2f3cdf0a9 100644
--- a/homeassistant/helpers/config_validation.py
+++ b/homeassistant/helpers/config_validation.py
@@ -59,7 +59,6 @@ from homeassistant.const import (
     CONF_PARALLEL,
     CONF_PLATFORM,
     CONF_REPEAT,
-    CONF_RESPONSE,
     CONF_RESPONSE_VARIABLE,
     CONF_SCAN_INTERVAL,
     CONF_SCENE,
@@ -1691,10 +1690,7 @@ _SCRIPT_STOP_SCHEMA = vol.Schema(
         **SCRIPT_ACTION_BASE_SCHEMA,
         vol.Required(CONF_STOP): vol.Any(None, string),
         vol.Exclusive(CONF_ERROR, "error_or_response"): boolean,
-        vol.Exclusive(CONF_RESPONSE, "error_or_response"): vol.Any(
-            vol.All(dict, template_complex),
-            vol.All(str, template),
-        ),
+        vol.Exclusive(CONF_RESPONSE_VARIABLE, "error_or_response"): str,
     }
 )
 
diff --git a/homeassistant/helpers/script.py b/homeassistant/helpers/script.py
index 13f29a96f78..e871c5120cd 100644
--- a/homeassistant/helpers/script.py
+++ b/homeassistant/helpers/script.py
@@ -46,7 +46,6 @@ from homeassistant.const import (
     CONF_MODE,
     CONF_PARALLEL,
     CONF_REPEAT,
-    CONF_RESPONSE,
     CONF_RESPONSE_VARIABLE,
     CONF_SCENE,
     CONF_SEQUENCE,
@@ -1031,10 +1030,14 @@ class _ScriptRun:
             raise _AbortScript(stop)
 
         self._log("Stop script sequence: %s", stop)
-        if CONF_RESPONSE in self._action:
-            response = template.render_complex(
-                self._action[CONF_RESPONSE], self._variables
-            )
+        if CONF_RESPONSE_VARIABLE in self._action:
+            try:
+                response = self._variables[self._action[CONF_RESPONSE_VARIABLE]]
+            except KeyError as ex:
+                raise _AbortScript(
+                    f"Response variable '{self._action[CONF_RESPONSE_VARIABLE]}' "
+                    "is not defined"
+                ) from ex
         else:
             response = None
         raise _StopScript(stop, response)
diff --git a/tests/components/script/test_init.py b/tests/components/script/test_init.py
index 456eddbdaa7..7441e734848 100644
--- a/tests/components/script/test_init.py
+++ b/tests/components/script/test_init.py
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ from homeassistant.core import (
     callback,
     split_entity_id,
 )
-from homeassistant.exceptions import ServiceNotFound
+from homeassistant.exceptions import HomeAssistantError, ServiceNotFound
 from homeassistant.helpers import entity_registry as er, template
 from homeassistant.helpers.event import async_track_state_change
 from homeassistant.helpers.script import (
@@ -1515,10 +1515,15 @@ async def test_responses(hass: HomeAssistant, response: Any) -> None:
         {
             "script": {
                 "test": {
-                    "sequence": {
-                        "stop": "done",
-                        "response": response,
-                    }
+                    "sequence": [
+                        {
+                            "variables": {"test_var": {"response": response}},
+                        },
+                        {
+                            "stop": "done",
+                            "response_variable": "test_var",
+                        },
+                    ]
                 }
             }
         },
@@ -1526,7 +1531,40 @@ async def test_responses(hass: HomeAssistant, response: Any) -> None:
 
     assert await hass.services.async_call(
         DOMAIN, "test", {"greeting": "world"}, blocking=True, return_response=True
-    ) == {"value": 5}
+    ) == {"response": response}
+    # Validate we can also call it without return_response
+    assert (
+        await hass.services.async_call(
+            DOMAIN, "test", {"greeting": "world"}, blocking=True, return_response=False
+        )
+        is None
+    )
+
+
+async def test_responses_error(hass: HomeAssistant) -> None:
+    """Test response variable not set."""
+    mock_restore_cache(hass, ())
+    assert await async_setup_component(
+        hass,
+        "script",
+        {
+            "script": {
+                "test": {
+                    "sequence": [
+                        {
+                            "stop": "done",
+                            "response_variable": "test_var",
+                        },
+                    ]
+                }
+            }
+        },
+    )
+
+    with pytest.raises(HomeAssistantError):
+        assert await hass.services.async_call(
+            DOMAIN, "test", {"greeting": "world"}, blocking=True, return_response=True
+        )
     # Validate we can also call it without return_response
     assert (
         await hass.services.async_call(
diff --git a/tests/components/websocket_api/test_commands.py b/tests/components/websocket_api/test_commands.py
index 012199b5e5c..0916aaf46e4 100644
--- a/tests/components/websocket_api/test_commands.py
+++ b/tests/components/websocket_api/test_commands.py
@@ -24,7 +24,10 @@ from homeassistant.setup import DATA_SETUP_TIME, async_setup_component
 from homeassistant.util.json import json_loads
 
 from tests.common import MockEntity, MockEntityPlatform, MockUser, async_mock_service
-from tests.typing import ClientSessionGenerator, WebSocketGenerator
+from tests.typing import (
+    ClientSessionGenerator,
+    WebSocketGenerator,
+)
 
 STATE_KEY_SHORT_NAMES = {
     "entity_id": "e",
@@ -1686,7 +1689,7 @@ async def test_execute_script(hass: HomeAssistant, websocket_client) -> None:
                     "data": {"hello": "world"},
                     "response_variable": "service_result",
                 },
-                {"stop": "done", "response": "{{ service_result }}"},
+                {"stop": "done", "response_variable": "service_result"},
             ],
         }
     )
@@ -1732,6 +1735,48 @@ async def test_execute_script(hass: HomeAssistant, websocket_client) -> None:
     assert call.context.as_dict() == msg_var["result"]["context"]
 
 
+async def test_execute_script_complex_response(
+    hass: HomeAssistant, hass_ws_client: WebSocketGenerator
+) -> None:
+    """Test testing a condition."""
+    await async_setup_component(hass, "calendar", {"calendar": {"platform": "demo"}})
+    await hass.async_block_till_done()
+    ws_client = await hass_ws_client(hass)
+
+    await ws_client.send_json_auto_id(
+        {
+            "type": "execute_script",
+            "sequence": [
+                {
+                    "service": "calendar.list_events",
+                    "data": {"duration": {"hours": 24, "minutes": 0, "seconds": 0}},
+                    "target": {"entity_id": "calendar.calendar_1"},
+                    "response_variable": "service_result",
+                },
+                {"stop": "done", "response_variable": "service_result"},
+            ],
+        }
+    )
+
+    msg_no_var = await ws_client.receive_json()
+    assert msg_no_var["type"] == const.TYPE_RESULT
+    assert msg_no_var["success"]
+    assert msg_no_var["result"]["response"] == {
+        "events": [
+            {
+                "start": ANY,
+                "end": ANY,
+                "summary": "Future Event",
+                "description": "Future Description",
+                "location": "Future Location",
+                "uid": None,
+                "recurrence_id": None,
+                "rrule": None,
+            }
+        ]
+    }
+
+
 async def test_subscribe_unsubscribe_bootstrap_integrations(
     hass: HomeAssistant, websocket_client, hass_admin_user: MockUser
 ) -> None: