diff --git a/homeassistant/components/hydrawise/__init__.py b/homeassistant/components/hydrawise/__init__.py
index 03cb40fecce9..50b005d2d409 100644
--- a/homeassistant/components/hydrawise/__init__.py
+++ b/homeassistant/components/hydrawise/__init__.py
@@ -3,10 +3,11 @@
 from pydrawise import auth, hybrid
 
 from homeassistant.const import CONF_API_KEY, CONF_PASSWORD, CONF_USERNAME, Platform
-from homeassistant.core import HomeAssistant
+from homeassistant.core import HomeAssistant, callback
 from homeassistant.exceptions import ConfigEntryAuthFailed
+from homeassistant.helpers import device_registry as dr
 
-from .const import APP_ID
+from .const import APP_ID, DOMAIN, MANUFACTURER
 from .coordinator import (
     HydrawiseConfigEntry,
     HydrawiseMainDataUpdateCoordinator,
@@ -46,6 +47,31 @@ async def async_setup_entry(
     water_use_coordinator = HydrawiseWaterUseDataUpdateCoordinator(
         hass, config_entry, hydrawise, main_coordinator
     )
+
+    device_registry = dr.async_get(hass)
+
+    @callback
+    def _async_register_controller_devices() -> None:
+        """Register controller devices so children can resolve via_device_id.
+
+        Controllers can appear on later coordinator updates, so this runs on
+        every update before the zone-tracking listener, keeping the via_device
+        parents registered before their child entities are constructed.
+        """
+        for controller in main_coordinator.data.controllers.values():
+            device_registry.async_get_or_create(
+                config_entry_id=config_entry.entry_id,
+                identifiers={(DOMAIN, str(controller.id))},
+                manufacturer=MANUFACTURER,
+                model=controller.hardware.model.description,
+                name=controller.name,
+            )
+
+    _async_register_controller_devices()
+    config_entry.async_on_unload(
+        main_coordinator.async_add_listener(_async_register_controller_devices)
+    )
+
     # async_track_zones is registered first on water_use_coordinator,
     # so the water-use coordinator's data is in sync before
     # callbacks below construct entities for newly added zones.
diff --git a/homeassistant/components/hydrawise/entity.py b/homeassistant/components/hydrawise/entity.py
index 53ddaa3d0b7f..7d88d4314e94 100644
--- a/homeassistant/components/hydrawise/entity.py
+++ b/homeassistant/components/hydrawise/entity.py
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ from typing import override
 from pydrawise.schema import Controller, Sensor, Zone
 
 from homeassistant.core import callback
+from homeassistant.helpers import device_registry as dr
 from homeassistant.helpers.device_registry import DeviceInfo
 from homeassistant.helpers.entity import EntityDescription
 from homeassistant.helpers.update_coordinator import CoordinatorEntity
@@ -47,7 +48,13 @@ class HydrawiseEntity(CoordinatorEntity[HydrawiseDataUpdateCoordinator]):
             manufacturer=MANUFACTURER,
         )
         if zone_id is not None or sensor_id is not None:
-            self._attr_device_info["via_device"] = (DOMAIN, str(controller.id))
+            self._attr_device_info["via_device_id"] = (
+                dr.async_get_device_id_by_identifier(
+                    self.coordinator.hass,
+                    (DOMAIN, str(controller.id)),
+                    config_entry_id=self.coordinator.config_entry.entry_id,
+                )
+            )
         self._update_attrs()
 
     @property
diff --git a/tests/components/hydrawise/test_device.py b/tests/components/hydrawise/test_device.py
index 9d98f2a7b442..1aec2c3a0aa0 100644
--- a/tests/components/hydrawise/test_device.py
+++ b/tests/components/hydrawise/test_device.py
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 
 from unittest.mock import Mock
 
+import pytest
+
 from homeassistant.components.hydrawise.const import DOMAIN
 from homeassistant.config_entries import ConfigEntry
 from homeassistant.core import HomeAssistant
@@ -38,3 +40,21 @@ def test_controller_in_device_registry(
     assert device is not None
     assert device.name == "Home Controller"
     assert device.manufacturer == "Hydrawise"
+
+
+@pytest.mark.usefixtures("mock_pydrawise")
+def test_zone_via_device_links_to_controller(
+    device_registry: dr.DeviceRegistry,
+    mock_added_config_entry: ConfigEntry,
+) -> None:
+    """Test that a zone device links to its controller via via_device_id."""
+    controller = device_registry.async_get_device_by_identifier(
+        (DOMAIN, "52496"), mock_added_config_entry.entry_id
+    )
+    assert controller is not None
+
+    zone = device_registry.async_get_device_by_identifier(
+        (DOMAIN, "5965394"), mock_added_config_entry.entry_id
+    )
+    assert zone is not None
+    assert zone.via_device_id == controller.id