diff --git a/esphome/components/i2c/i2c_bus_arduino.cpp b/esphome/components/i2c/i2c_bus_arduino.cpp
index e08622a3ae..d80ab1fd1d 100644
--- a/esphome/components/i2c/i2c_bus_arduino.cpp
+++ b/esphome/components/i2c/i2c_bus_arduino.cpp
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 #include "i2c_bus_arduino.h"
 #include "esphome/core/log.h"
 #include "esphome/core/helpers.h"
+#include "esphome/core/application.h"
 #include <Arduino.h>
 #include <cstring>
 
@@ -227,10 +228,14 @@ void ArduinoI2CBus::recover_() {
     // When SCL is kept LOW at this point, we might be looking at a device
     // that applies clock stretching. Wait for the release of the SCL line,
     // but not forever. There is no specification for the maximum allowed
-    // time. We'll stick to 500ms here.
-    auto wait = 20;
+    // time. We yield and reset the WDT, so as to avoid triggering reset.
+    // No point in trying to recover the bus by forcing a uC reset. Bus
+    // should recover in a few ms or less else not likely to recovery at
+    // all.
+    auto wait = 250;
     while (wait-- && digitalRead(scl_pin_) == LOW) {  // NOLINT
-      delay(25);
+      App.feed_wdt();
+      delayMicroseconds(half_period_usec * 2);
     }
     if (digitalRead(scl_pin_) == LOW) {  // NOLINT
       ESP_LOGE(TAG, "Recovery failed: SCL is held LOW during clock pulse cycle");
diff --git a/esphome/components/i2c/i2c_bus_esp_idf.cpp b/esphome/components/i2c/i2c_bus_esp_idf.cpp
index 5178f6d4f2..51688322f6 100644
--- a/esphome/components/i2c/i2c_bus_esp_idf.cpp
+++ b/esphome/components/i2c/i2c_bus_esp_idf.cpp
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 #include "esphome/core/hal.h"
 #include "esphome/core/log.h"
 #include "esphome/core/helpers.h"
+#include "esphome/core/application.h"
 #include <cstring>
 #include <cinttypes>
 
@@ -273,10 +274,14 @@ void IDFI2CBus::recover_() {
     // When SCL is kept LOW at this point, we might be looking at a device
     // that applies clock stretching. Wait for the release of the SCL line,
     // but not forever. There is no specification for the maximum allowed
-    // time. We'll stick to 500ms here.
-    auto wait = 20;
+    // time. We yield and reset the WDT, so as to avoid triggering reset.
+    // No point in trying to recover the bus by forcing a uC reset. Bus
+    // should recover in a few ms or less else not likely to recovery at
+    // all.
+    auto wait = 250;
     while (wait-- && gpio_get_level(scl_pin) == 0) {
-      delay(25);
+      App.feed_wdt();
+      delayMicroseconds(half_period_usec * 2);
     }
     if (gpio_get_level(scl_pin) == 0) {
       ESP_LOGE(TAG, "Recovery failed: SCL is held LOW during clock pulse cycle");