diff --git a/components/ieee802154/driver/esp_ieee802154_dev.c b/components/ieee802154/driver/esp_ieee802154_dev.c
index 5924cdf2b69..44bd72e07bc 100644
--- a/components/ieee802154/driver/esp_ieee802154_dev.c
+++ b/components/ieee802154/driver/esp_ieee802154_dev.c
@@ -1075,6 +1075,14 @@ IEEE802154_NOINLINE static void ieee802154_start_receive_at(void* ctx)
 
 esp_err_t ieee802154_receive_at(uint32_t time, uint32_t duration)
 {
+    // If a receive window is specified but it has already elapsed (time + duration is earlier
+    // than the current time), this is an expired rx window, so skip it and return directly.
+    if (duration) {
+        uint32_t current_time = (uint32_t)esp_timer_get_time();
+        if (is_target_time_expired(time + duration, current_time)) {
+            return ESP_OK;
+        }
+    }
     // TODO: Light sleep current optimization, TZ-1613.
     IEEE802154_RF_ENABLE();
     ieee802154_enter_critical();
diff --git a/components/ieee802154/driver/esp_ieee802154_timer.c b/components/ieee802154/driver/esp_ieee802154_timer.c
index 8a373f9ef04..cb72bd48590 100644
--- a/components/ieee802154/driver/esp_ieee802154_timer.c
+++ b/components/ieee802154/driver/esp_ieee802154_timer.c
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2023-2025 Espressif Systems (Shanghai) CO LTD
+ * SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2023-2026 Espressif Systems (Shanghai) CO LTD
  *
  * SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
  */
@@ -61,11 +61,6 @@ uint32_t ieee802154_timer1_get_value(void)
     return ieee802154_ll_timer1_get_value();
 }
 
-FORCE_INLINE_ATTR bool is_target_time_expired(uint32_t target, uint32_t now)
-{
-    return (((now - target) & (1 << 31)) == 0);
-}
-
 void ieee802154_timer0_fire_at(uint32_t fire_time)
 {
     uint32_t current_time = (uint32_t)esp_timer_get_time();
diff --git a/components/ieee802154/include/esp_ieee802154.h b/components/ieee802154/include/esp_ieee802154.h
index 74df8e79ba3..7084195c682 100644
--- a/components/ieee802154/include/esp_ieee802154.h
+++ b/components/ieee802154/include/esp_ieee802154.h
@@ -615,6 +615,8 @@ extern void esp_ieee802154_receive_at_done(void);
  * @brief  Set the IEEE 802.15.4 Radio to receive state at a specific time, for a specific duration.
  *
  * @note   Radio will start receiving after the timestamp, and continue receiving for the specific duration.
+ * @note   If a duration is specified and the target end time (time + duration) is earlier than the current
+ *         time, the receive window has already expired and no operation will be performed.
  *
  * @param[in]  time      A specific timestamp for starting receiving.
  * @param[in]  duration  A specific duration after which to stop receiving. Set duration = 0 to rx indefinitely.
diff --git a/components/ieee802154/private_include/esp_ieee802154_timer.h b/components/ieee802154/private_include/esp_ieee802154_timer.h
index f445a281ec6..422d3f04839 100644
--- a/components/ieee802154/private_include/esp_ieee802154_timer.h
+++ b/components/ieee802154/private_include/esp_ieee802154_timer.h
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2023-2025 Espressif Systems (Shanghai) CO LTD
+ * SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2023-2026 Espressif Systems (Shanghai) CO LTD
  *
  * SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
  */
@@ -12,6 +12,28 @@ extern "C" {
 
 #include "esp_log.h"
 #include "esp_err.h"
+#include "esp_attr.h"
+#include <stdbool.h>
+#include <stdint.h>
+
+/**
+ * @brief  Check whether a target time has expired relative to a reference time.
+ *
+ * @note   This is wrap-around safe for 32-bit timestamps: it returns true when
+ *         @p target is at or before @p now within the first half of the counter range.
+ *
+ * @param[in]  target  The target time to check.
+ * @param[in]  now     The current/reference time.
+ *
+ * @return
+ *          true  if @p target has expired (is at or before @p now).
+ *          false otherwise.
+ *
+ */
+FORCE_INLINE_ATTR bool is_target_time_expired(uint32_t target, uint32_t now)
+{
+    return (((now - target) & (1 << 31)) == 0);
+}
 
 /**
  * @brief  Start the IEEE802154 MAC internal timer0.