diff --git a/esphome/components/bluetooth_proxy/bluetooth_connection.cpp b/esphome/components/bluetooth_proxy/bluetooth_connection.cpp
index 3c18773a5e..4b84257e27 100644
--- a/esphome/components/bluetooth_proxy/bluetooth_connection.cpp
+++ b/esphome/components/bluetooth_proxy/bluetooth_connection.cpp
@@ -80,10 +80,15 @@ void BluetoothConnection::send_service_for_discovery_() {
                                                                &service_result, &service_count, this->send_service_);
   this->send_service_++;
 
-  if (service_status != ESP_GATT_OK || service_count == 0) {
-    ESP_LOGE(TAG, "[%d] [%s] esp_ble_gattc_get_service %s, status=%d, service_count=%d, offset=%d",
-             this->connection_index_, this->address_str().c_str(), service_status != ESP_GATT_OK ? "error" : "missing",
-             service_status, service_count, this->send_service_ - 1);
+  if (service_status != ESP_GATT_OK) {
+    ESP_LOGE(TAG, "[%d] [%s] esp_ble_gattc_get_service error at offset=%d, status=%d", this->connection_index_,
+             this->address_str().c_str(), this->send_service_ - 1, service_status);
+    return;
+  }
+
+  if (service_count == 0) {
+    ESP_LOGE(TAG, "[%d] [%s] esp_ble_gattc_get_service missing, service_count=%d", this->connection_index_,
+             this->address_str().c_str(), service_count);
     return;
   }
 
@@ -99,20 +104,15 @@ void BluetoothConnection::send_service_for_discovery_() {
       esp_ble_gattc_get_attr_count(this->gattc_if_, this->conn_id_, ESP_GATT_DB_CHARACTERISTIC,
                                    service_result.start_handle, service_result.end_handle, 0, &total_char_count);
 
-  if (char_count_status != ESP_GATT_OK) {
+  if (char_count_status == ESP_GATT_OK && total_char_count > 0) {
+    // Only reserve if we successfully got a count
+    service_resp.characteristics.reserve(total_char_count);
+  } else if (char_count_status != ESP_GATT_OK) {
     ESP_LOGW(TAG, "[%d] [%s] Error getting characteristic count, status=%d", this->connection_index_,
              this->address_str().c_str(), char_count_status);
-    return;
   }
 
-  if (total_char_count == 0) {
-    // No characteristics, just send the service response
-    api_conn->send_message(resp, api::BluetoothGATTGetServicesResponse::MESSAGE_TYPE);
-    return;
-  }
-
-  // Reserve space and process characteristics
-  service_resp.characteristics.reserve(total_char_count);
+  // Now process characteristics
   uint16_t char_offset = 0;
   esp_gattc_char_elem_t char_result;
   while (true) {  // characteristics
@@ -126,7 +126,7 @@ void BluetoothConnection::send_service_for_discovery_() {
     if (char_status != ESP_GATT_OK) {
       ESP_LOGE(TAG, "[%d] [%s] esp_ble_gattc_get_all_char error, status=%d", this->connection_index_,
                this->address_str().c_str(), char_status);
-      return;
+      break;
     }
     if (char_count == 0) {
       break;
@@ -145,18 +145,15 @@ void BluetoothConnection::send_service_for_discovery_() {
         esp_ble_gattc_get_attr_count(this->gattc_if_, this->conn_id_, ESP_GATT_DB_DESCRIPTOR, char_result.char_handle,
                                      service_result.end_handle, 0, &total_desc_count);
 
-    if (desc_count_status != ESP_GATT_OK) {
+    if (desc_count_status == ESP_GATT_OK && total_desc_count > 0) {
+      // Only reserve if we successfully got a count
+      characteristic_resp.descriptors.reserve(total_desc_count);
+    } else if (desc_count_status != ESP_GATT_OK) {
       ESP_LOGW(TAG, "[%d] [%s] Error getting descriptor count for char handle %d, status=%d", this->connection_index_,
                this->address_str().c_str(), char_result.char_handle, desc_count_status);
-      return;
-    }
-    if (total_desc_count == 0) {
-      // No descriptors, continue to next characteristic
-      continue;
     }
 
-    // Reserve space and process descriptors
-    characteristic_resp.descriptors.reserve(total_desc_count);
+    // Now process descriptors
     uint16_t desc_offset = 0;
     esp_gattc_descr_elem_t desc_result;
     while (true) {  // descriptors
@@ -169,10 +166,10 @@ void BluetoothConnection::send_service_for_discovery_() {
       if (desc_status != ESP_GATT_OK) {
         ESP_LOGE(TAG, "[%d] [%s] esp_ble_gattc_get_all_descr error, status=%d", this->connection_index_,
                  this->address_str().c_str(), desc_status);
-        return;
+        break;
       }
       if (desc_count == 0) {
-        break;  // No more descriptors
+        break;
       }
 
       characteristic_resp.descriptors.emplace_back();