diff --git a/components/app_update/esp_ota_ops.c b/components/app_update/esp_ota_ops.c
index 22420b016f..b43194301b 100644
--- a/components/app_update/esp_ota_ops.c
+++ b/components/app_update/esp_ota_ops.c
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2015-2025 Espressif Systems (Shanghai) CO LTD
+ * SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2015-2026 Espressif Systems (Shanghai) CO LTD
  *
  * SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
  */
@@ -672,16 +672,8 @@ static esp_err_t esp_rewrite_ota_data(esp_partition_subtype_t subtype)
     return rewrite_ota_seq(otadata, new_seq, next_otadata, otadata_partition);
 }
 
-esp_err_t esp_ota_set_boot_partition(const esp_partition_t *partition)
+static esp_err_t esp_ota_set_boot_partition_internal(const esp_partition_t* partition)
 {
-    if (partition == NULL) {
-        return ESP_ERR_INVALID_ARG;
-    }
-
-    if (image_validate(partition, ESP_IMAGE_VERIFY) != ESP_OK) {
-        return ESP_ERR_OTA_VALIDATE_FAILED;
-    }
-
     // if set boot partition to factory bin ,just format ota info partition
     if (partition->type == ESP_PARTITION_TYPE_APP) {
         if (partition->subtype == ESP_PARTITION_SUBTYPE_APP_FACTORY) {
@@ -715,6 +707,28 @@ esp_err_t esp_ota_set_boot_partition(const esp_partition_t *partition)
     }
 }
 
+esp_err_t esp_ota_set_boot_partition(const esp_partition_t *partition)
+{
+    if (partition == NULL) {
+        return ESP_ERR_INVALID_ARG;
+    }
+
+    if (image_validate(partition, ESP_IMAGE_VERIFY) != ESP_OK) {
+        return ESP_ERR_OTA_VALIDATE_FAILED;
+    }
+
+    return esp_ota_set_boot_partition_internal(partition);
+}
+
+esp_err_t esp_ota_set_boot_partition_skip_validate(const esp_partition_t *partition)
+{
+    if (partition == NULL) {
+        return ESP_ERR_INVALID_ARG;
+    }
+
+    return esp_ota_set_boot_partition_internal(partition);
+}
+
 static const esp_partition_t *find_default_boot_partition(void)
 {
     // This logic matches the logic of bootloader get_selected_boot_partition() & load_boot_image().
diff --git a/components/app_update/include/esp_ota_ops.h b/components/app_update/include/esp_ota_ops.h
index c64acde2c4..a04ae9755c 100644
--- a/components/app_update/include/esp_ota_ops.h
+++ b/components/app_update/include/esp_ota_ops.h
@@ -209,6 +209,8 @@ esp_err_t esp_ota_abort(esp_ota_handle_t handle);
 /**
  * @brief Configure OTA data for a new boot partition
  *
+ * Equivalent to esp_image_verify() followed by esp_ota_set_boot_partition_skip_validate().
+ *
  * @note If this function returns ESP_OK, calling esp_restart() will boot the newly configured app partition.
  *
  * @param partition Pointer to info for partition containing app image to boot.
@@ -222,6 +224,21 @@ esp_err_t esp_ota_abort(esp_ota_handle_t handle);
  */
 esp_err_t esp_ota_set_boot_partition(const esp_partition_t* partition);
 
+/**
+ * @brief Configure OTA data for a new boot partition without validating the image
+ *
+ * @note If this function returns ESP_OK, calling esp_restart() will boot the newly configured app partition.
+ *
+ * @param partition Pointer to info for partition containing app image to boot.
+ *
+ * @return
+ *    - ESP_OK: OTA data updated, next reboot will use specified partition.
+ *    - ESP_ERR_INVALID_ARG: partition argument was NULL or didn't point to a valid OTA partition of type "app".
+ *    - ESP_ERR_NOT_FOUND: OTA data partition not found.
+ *    - ESP_ERR_FLASH_OP_TIMEOUT or ESP_ERR_FLASH_OP_FAIL: Flash erase or write failed.
+ */
+esp_err_t esp_ota_set_boot_partition_skip_validate(const esp_partition_t* partition);
+
 /**
  * @brief Get partition info of currently configured boot app
  *