diff --git a/esphome/components/runtime_stats/runtime_stats.cpp b/esphome/components/runtime_stats/runtime_stats.cpp
index 96a222da84..72411ffd6f 100644
--- a/esphome/components/runtime_stats/runtime_stats.cpp
+++ b/esphome/components/runtime_stats/runtime_stats.cpp
@@ -9,9 +9,6 @@ namespace esphome {
 
 namespace runtime_stats {
 
-// Forward declaration to help compiler
-class RuntimeStatsCollector;
-
 RuntimeStatsCollector::RuntimeStatsCollector() : log_interval_(60000), next_log_time_(0) {
   global_runtime_stats = this;
 }
diff --git a/esphome/components/runtime_stats/runtime_stats.h b/esphome/components/runtime_stats/runtime_stats.h
index de241e439c..7e763810eb 100644
--- a/esphome/components/runtime_stats/runtime_stats.h
+++ b/esphome/components/runtime_stats/runtime_stats.h
@@ -11,11 +11,10 @@
 #include <algorithm>
 #include "esphome/core/helpers.h"
 #include "esphome/core/log.h"
+#include "esphome/core/component.h"
 
 namespace esphome {
 
-class Component;  // Forward declaration
-
 namespace runtime_stats {
 
 static const char *const TAG = "runtime_stats";