diff --git a/esphome/components/esp32_ble_tracker/__init__.py b/esphome/components/esp32_ble_tracker/__init__.py
index e647b74a8f..db7fcc68ae 100644
--- a/esphome/components/esp32_ble_tracker/__init__.py
+++ b/esphome/components/esp32_ble_tracker/__init__.py
@@ -23,6 +23,8 @@ CONF_ESP32_BLE_ID = "esp32_ble_id"
 CONF_SCAN_PARAMETERS = "scan_parameters"
 CONF_WINDOW = "window"
 CONF_ACTIVE = "active"
+CONF_CONTINUOUS = "continuous"
+CONF_ON_SCAN_END = "on_scan_end"
 esp32_ble_tracker_ns = cg.esphome_ns.namespace("esp32_ble_tracker")
 ESP32BLETracker = esp32_ble_tracker_ns.class_("ESP32BLETracker", cg.Component)
 ESPBTClient = esp32_ble_tracker_ns.class_("ESPBTClient")
@@ -42,6 +44,13 @@ BLEManufacturerDataAdvertiseTrigger = esp32_ble_tracker_ns.class_(
     "BLEManufacturerDataAdvertiseTrigger",
     automation.Trigger.template(adv_data_t_const_ref),
 )
+BLEEndOfScanTrigger = esp32_ble_tracker_ns.class_(
+    "BLEEndOfScanTrigger", automation.Trigger.template()
+)
+# Actions
+ESP32BLEStartScanAction = esp32_ble_tracker_ns.class_(
+    "ESP32BLEStartScanAction", automation.Action
+)
 
 
 def validate_scan_parameters(config):
@@ -138,6 +147,7 @@ CONFIG_SCHEMA = cv.Schema(
                         CONF_WINDOW, default="30ms"
                     ): cv.positive_time_period_milliseconds,
                     cv.Optional(CONF_ACTIVE, default=True): cv.boolean,
+                    cv.Optional(CONF_CONTINUOUS, default=True): cv.boolean,
                 }
             ),
             validate_scan_parameters,
@@ -168,6 +178,9 @@ CONFIG_SCHEMA = cv.Schema(
                 cv.Required(CONF_MANUFACTURER_ID): bt_uuid,
             }
         ),
+        cv.Optional(CONF_ON_SCAN_END): automation.validate_automation(
+            {cv.GenerateID(CONF_TRIGGER_ID): cv.declare_id(BLEEndOfScanTrigger)}
+        ),
     }
 ).extend(cv.COMPONENT_SCHEMA)
 
@@ -186,6 +199,7 @@ async def to_code(config):
     cg.add(var.set_scan_interval(int(params[CONF_INTERVAL].total_milliseconds / 0.625)))
     cg.add(var.set_scan_window(int(params[CONF_WINDOW].total_milliseconds / 0.625)))
     cg.add(var.set_scan_active(params[CONF_ACTIVE]))
+    cg.add(var.set_scan_continuous(params[CONF_CONTINUOUS]))
     for conf in config.get(CONF_ON_BLE_ADVERTISE, []):
         trigger = cg.new_Pvariable(conf[CONF_TRIGGER_ID], var)
         if CONF_MAC_ADDRESS in conf:
@@ -215,11 +229,36 @@ async def to_code(config):
         if CONF_MAC_ADDRESS in conf:
             cg.add(trigger.set_address(conf[CONF_MAC_ADDRESS].as_hex))
         await automation.build_automation(trigger, [(adv_data_t_const_ref, "x")], conf)
+    for conf in config.get(CONF_ON_SCAN_END, []):
+        trigger = cg.new_Pvariable(conf[CONF_TRIGGER_ID], var)
+        await automation.build_automation(trigger, [], conf)
 
     if CORE.using_esp_idf:
         add_idf_sdkconfig_option("CONFIG_BT_ENABLED", True)
 
 
+ESP32_BLE_START_SCAN_ACTION_SCHEMA = cv.Schema(
+    {
+        cv.GenerateID(): cv.use_id(ESP32BLETracker),
+        cv.Optional(CONF_CONTINUOUS, default=False): cv.templatable(cv.boolean),
+    }
+)
+
+
+@automation.register_action(
+    "esp32_ble_tracker.start_scan",
+    ESP32BLEStartScanAction,
+    ESP32_BLE_START_SCAN_ACTION_SCHEMA,
+)
+async def esp32_ble_tracker_start_scan_action_to_code(
+    config, action_id, template_arg, args
+):
+    paren = await cg.get_variable(config[CONF_ID])
+    var = cg.new_Pvariable(action_id, template_arg, paren)
+    cg.add(var.set_continuous(config[CONF_CONTINUOUS]))
+    return var
+
+
 async def register_ble_device(var, config):
     paren = await cg.get_variable(config[CONF_ESP32_BLE_ID])
     cg.add(paren.register_listener(var))
diff --git a/esphome/components/esp32_ble_tracker/automation.h b/esphome/components/esp32_ble_tracker/automation.h
index 3505e9c26d..d9e3b820af 100644
--- a/esphome/components/esp32_ble_tracker/automation.h
+++ b/esphome/components/esp32_ble_tracker/automation.h
@@ -76,6 +76,14 @@ class BLEManufacturerDataAdvertiseTrigger : public Trigger<const adv_data_t &>,
   ESPBTUUID uuid_;
 };
 
+class BLEEndOfScanTrigger : public Trigger<>, public ESPBTDeviceListener {
+ public:
+  explicit BLEEndOfScanTrigger(ESP32BLETracker *parent) { parent->register_listener(this); }
+
+  bool parse_device(const ESPBTDevice &device) override { return false; }
+  void on_scan_end() override { this->trigger(); }
+};
+
 }  // namespace esp32_ble_tracker
 }  // namespace esphome
 
diff --git a/esphome/components/esp32_ble_tracker/esp32_ble_tracker.cpp b/esphome/components/esp32_ble_tracker/esp32_ble_tracker.cpp
index 82945dc771..743f246d3a 100644
--- a/esphome/components/esp32_ble_tracker/esp32_ble_tracker.cpp
+++ b/esphome/components/esp32_ble_tracker/esp32_ble_tracker.cpp
@@ -46,13 +46,15 @@ void ESP32BLETracker::setup() {
   global_esp32_ble_tracker = this;
   this->scan_result_lock_ = xSemaphoreCreateMutex();
   this->scan_end_lock_ = xSemaphoreCreateMutex();
-
+  this->scanner_idle_ = true;
   if (!ESP32BLETracker::ble_setup()) {
     this->mark_failed();
     return;
   }
 
-  global_esp32_ble_tracker->start_scan_(true);
+  if (this->scan_continuous_) {
+    global_esp32_ble_tracker->start_scan_(true);
+  }
 }
 
 void ESP32BLETracker::loop() {
@@ -68,14 +70,25 @@ void ESP32BLETracker::loop() {
     ble_event = this->ble_events_.pop();
   }
 
+  if (this->scanner_idle_) {
+    return;
+  }
+
   bool connecting = false;
   for (auto *client : this->clients_) {
     if (client->state() == ClientState::CONNECTING || client->state() == ClientState::DISCOVERED)
       connecting = true;
   }
+
   if (!connecting && xSemaphoreTake(this->scan_end_lock_, 0L)) {
     xSemaphoreGive(this->scan_end_lock_);
-    global_esp32_ble_tracker->start_scan_(false);
+    if (this->scan_continuous_) {
+      global_esp32_ble_tracker->start_scan_(false);
+    } else if (xSemaphoreTake(this->scan_end_lock_, 0L) && !this->scanner_idle_) {
+      xSemaphoreGive(this->scan_end_lock_);
+      global_esp32_ble_tracker->end_of_scan_();
+      return;
+    }
   }
 
   if (xSemaphoreTake(this->scan_result_lock_, 5L / portTICK_PERIOD_MS)) {
@@ -134,6 +147,15 @@ void ESP32BLETracker::loop() {
   }
 }
 
+void ESP32BLETracker::start_scan() {
+  if (xSemaphoreTake(this->scan_end_lock_, 0L)) {
+    xSemaphoreGive(this->scan_end_lock_);
+    global_esp32_ble_tracker->start_scan_(true);
+  } else {
+    ESP_LOGW(TAG, "Scan requested when a scan is already in progress. Ignoring.");
+  }
+}
+
 bool ESP32BLETracker::ble_setup() {
   // Initialize non-volatile storage for the bluetooth controller
   esp_err_t err = nvs_flash_init();
@@ -225,6 +247,7 @@ void ESP32BLETracker::start_scan_(bool first) {
       listener->on_scan_end();
   }
   this->already_discovered_.clear();
+  this->scanner_idle_ = false;
   this->scan_params_.scan_type = this->scan_active_ ? BLE_SCAN_TYPE_ACTIVE : BLE_SCAN_TYPE_PASSIVE;
   this->scan_params_.own_addr_type = BLE_ADDR_TYPE_PUBLIC;
   this->scan_params_.scan_filter_policy = BLE_SCAN_FILTER_ALLOW_ALL;
@@ -240,6 +263,22 @@ void ESP32BLETracker::start_scan_(bool first) {
   });
 }
 
+void ESP32BLETracker::end_of_scan_() {
+  if (!xSemaphoreTake(this->scan_end_lock_, 0L)) {
+    ESP_LOGW(TAG, "Cannot clean up end of scan!");
+    return;
+  }
+
+  ESP_LOGD(TAG, "End of scan.");
+  this->scanner_idle_ = true;
+  this->already_discovered_.clear();
+  xSemaphoreGive(this->scan_end_lock_);
+  this->cancel_timeout("scan");
+
+  for (auto *listener : this->listeners_)
+    listener->on_scan_end();
+}
+
 void ESP32BLETracker::register_client(ESPBTClient *client) {
   client->app_id = ++this->app_id_;
   this->clients_.push_back(client);
@@ -719,7 +758,9 @@ void ESP32BLETracker::dump_config() {
   ESP_LOGCONFIG(TAG, "  Scan Interval: %.1f ms", this->scan_interval_ * 0.625f);
   ESP_LOGCONFIG(TAG, "  Scan Window: %.1f ms", this->scan_window_ * 0.625f);
   ESP_LOGCONFIG(TAG, "  Scan Type: %s", this->scan_active_ ? "ACTIVE" : "PASSIVE");
+  ESP_LOGCONFIG(TAG, "  Continuous Scanning: %s", this->scan_continuous_ ? "True" : "False");
 }
+
 void ESP32BLETracker::print_bt_device_info(const ESPBTDevice &device) {
   const uint64_t address = device.address_uint64();
   for (auto &disc : this->already_discovered_) {
diff --git a/esphome/components/esp32_ble_tracker/esp32_ble_tracker.h b/esphome/components/esp32_ble_tracker/esp32_ble_tracker.h
index 62fff30a20..1d2900af69 100644
--- a/esphome/components/esp32_ble_tracker/esp32_ble_tracker.h
+++ b/esphome/components/esp32_ble_tracker/esp32_ble_tracker.h
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 #pragma once
 
 #include "esphome/core/component.h"
+#include "esphome/core/automation.h"
 #include "esphome/core/helpers.h"
 #include "queue.h"
 
@@ -171,6 +172,7 @@ class ESP32BLETracker : public Component {
   void set_scan_interval(uint32_t scan_interval) { scan_interval_ = scan_interval; }
   void set_scan_window(uint32_t scan_window) { scan_window_ = scan_window; }
   void set_scan_active(bool scan_active) { scan_active_ = scan_active; }
+  void set_scan_continuous(bool scan_continuous) { scan_continuous_ = scan_continuous; }
 
   /// Setup the FreeRTOS task and the Bluetooth stack.
   void setup() override;
@@ -188,11 +190,15 @@ class ESP32BLETracker : public Component {
 
   void print_bt_device_info(const ESPBTDevice &device);
 
+  void start_scan();
+
  protected:
   /// The FreeRTOS task managing the bluetooth interface.
   static bool ble_setup();
   /// Start a single scan by setting up the parameters and doing some esp-idf calls.
   void start_scan_(bool first);
+  /// Called when a scan ends
+  void end_of_scan_();
   /// Callback that will handle all GAP events and redistribute them to other callbacks.
   static void gap_event_handler(esp_gap_ble_cb_event_t event, esp_ble_gap_cb_param_t *param);
   void real_gap_event_handler_(esp_gap_ble_cb_event_t event, esp_ble_gap_cb_param_t *param);
@@ -221,7 +227,9 @@ class ESP32BLETracker : public Component {
   uint32_t scan_duration_;
   uint32_t scan_interval_;
   uint32_t scan_window_;
+  bool scan_continuous_;
   bool scan_active_;
+  bool scanner_idle_;
   SemaphoreHandle_t scan_result_lock_;
   SemaphoreHandle_t scan_end_lock_;
   size_t scan_result_index_{0};
@@ -235,6 +243,19 @@ class ESP32BLETracker : public Component {
 // NOLINTNEXTLINE
 extern ESP32BLETracker *global_esp32_ble_tracker;
 
+template<typename... Ts> class ESP32BLEStartScanAction : public Action<Ts...> {
+ public:
+  ESP32BLEStartScanAction(ESP32BLETracker *parent) : parent_(parent) {}
+  TEMPLATABLE_VALUE(bool, continuous)
+  void play(Ts... x) override {
+    this->parent_->set_scan_continuous(this->continuous_.value(x...));
+    this->parent_->start_scan();
+  }
+
+ protected:
+  ESP32BLETracker *parent_;
+};
+
 }  // namespace esp32_ble_tracker
 }  // namespace esphome