diff --git a/esphome/components/http_request/http_request_idf.cpp b/esphome/components/http_request/http_request_idf.cpp
index 13420364e6..3aa032b06e 100644
--- a/esphome/components/http_request/http_request_idf.cpp
+++ b/esphome/components/http_request/http_request_idf.cpp
@@ -152,19 +152,23 @@ std::shared_ptr<HttpContainer> HttpRequestIDF::perform(const std::string &url, c
   }
 
   container->feed_wdt();
-  container->content_length = esp_http_client_fetch_headers(client);
-  if (container->content_length < 0) {
-    container->status_code = container->content_length;
-  } else {
-    container->feed_wdt();
-    container->status_code = esp_http_client_get_status_code(client);
-    container->feed_wdt();
-    container->set_response_headers(user_data.response_headers);
-    container->duration_ms = millis() - start;
-    if (is_success(container->status_code)) {
-      return container;
-    }
+  int64_t result = esp_http_client_fetch_headers(client);
+  if (result < 0) {
+    this->status_momentary_error("failed", 1000);
+    ESP_LOGE(TAG, "HTTP Request failed: %s", esp_err_to_name(result));
+    esp_http_client_cleanup(client);
+    return nullptr;
   }
+  container->content_length = result;
+  container->feed_wdt();
+  container->status_code = esp_http_client_get_status_code(client);
+  container->feed_wdt();
+  container->set_response_headers(user_data.response_headers);
+  container->duration_ms = millis() - start;
+  if (is_success(container->status_code)) {
+    return container;
+  }
+  
   if (this->follow_redirects_) {
     auto num_redirects = this->redirect_limit_;
     while (is_redirect(container->status_code) && num_redirects > 0) {
@@ -209,8 +213,7 @@ std::shared_ptr<HttpContainer> HttpRequestIDF::perform(const std::string &url, c
 
   ESP_LOGE(TAG, "HTTP Request failed; URL: %s; Code: %d", url.c_str(), container->status_code);
   this->status_momentary_error("failed", 1000);
-  esp_http_client_cleanup(client);
-  return nullptr;
+  return container;
 }
 
 int HttpContainerIDF::read(uint8_t *buf, size_t max_len) {