diff --git a/esphome/components/esp32/helpers.cpp b/esphome/components/esp32/helpers.cpp
index cfc648e1d1..13b12157c4 100644
--- a/esphome/components/esp32/helpers.cpp
+++ b/esphome/components/esp32/helpers.cpp
@@ -39,15 +39,14 @@ LwIPLock::LwIPLock() {
   // Only lock if we're not already in the TCPIP thread
   if (!sys_thread_tcpip(LWIP_CORE_LOCK_QUERY_HOLDER)) {
     LOCK_TCPIP_CORE();
-    locked_ = true;
   }
 #endif
 }
 
 LwIPLock::~LwIPLock() {
 #ifdef CONFIG_LWIP_TCPIP_CORE_LOCKING
-  // Only unlock if we locked it
-  if (locked_ && sys_thread_tcpip(LWIP_CORE_LOCK_QUERY_HOLDER)) {
+  // Only unlock if we hold the lock
+  if (sys_thread_tcpip(LWIP_CORE_LOCK_QUERY_HOLDER)) {
     UNLOCK_TCPIP_CORE();
   }
 #endif
diff --git a/esphome/core/helpers.h b/esphome/core/helpers.h
index 745b3e5e8e..6650a1c4d5 100644
--- a/esphome/core/helpers.h
+++ b/esphome/core/helpers.h
@@ -695,11 +695,6 @@ class LwIPLock {
  public:
   LwIPLock();
   ~LwIPLock();
-
- protected:
-#if defined(USE_ESP32)
-  bool locked_{false};
-#endif
 };
 
 /** Helper class to request `loop()` to be called as fast as possible.