diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index e7d7953..6a6af81 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -64,6 +64,7 @@ ble_keyboard:
   manufacturer_id: "MamonTech"
   battery_level: 50
   reconnect: true
+  advertise_on_start: true
   buttons: true
   use_default_libs: false
 ```
@@ -73,9 +74,53 @@ ble_keyboard:
 * **manufacturer_id** (Optional, string): Keyboard manufacturer (default: Esp32BleKeyboard);
 * **battery_level** (Optional, int): Keyboard battery level (default: 100);
 * **reconnect** (Optional, bool): Automatic reconnect service after disconnecting the device. (default: true);
+* **advertise_on_start** (Optional, bool): Automatic advertisement when the ESP device starts. (default: true);
 * **buttons** (Optional, bool): Whether to add separate buttons for [keys](https://github.com/dmamontov/esphome-blekeyboard/wiki/Keys) (default: true);
 * **use_default_libs** (Optional, bool): Whether to use the arduino standard library. (default: false).
 
+#### Controlling keyboard availability when `advertise_on_start` is `False`
+
+By default, the keyboard advertises its existence on start.  You can turn
+this off, but this creates a problem — how to ensure that the keyboard
+is available on demand?
+
+In your ESP description, you can create a switch that does exactly that:
+
+```
+globals:
+  - id: keyboard_enabled
+    type: bool
+    restore_value: no
+    initial_value: "false"
+
+switch:
+  - platform: template
+    name: Enabled
+    icon: mdi:power
+    lambda: |-
+      return id(keyboard_enabled);
+        return true;
+      } else {
+        return false;
+      }
+    turn_on_action:
+      - ble_keyboard.start: le_keyboard
+      - globals.set:
+           id: keyboard_enabled
+           value: "true"
+          id(keyboard_enabled) = true;
+    turn_off_action:
+      - ble_keyboard.stop: le_keyboard
+      - globals.set:
+           id: keyboard_enabled
+           value: "false"
+          id(keyboard_enabled) = false;
+```
+
+When toggled on, the switch will start the keyboard and begin advertising
+it.  When toggled off, the keyboard will disconnect all clients and stop
+advertising — ensuring clients cannot reconnect.
+
 ### Actions
 
 #### ble_keyboard.print
diff --git a/components/ble_keyboard/__init__.py b/components/ble_keyboard/__init__.py
index 2e79757..8ff8419 100644
--- a/components/ble_keyboard/__init__.py
+++ b/components/ble_keyboard/__init__.py
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@
     CONF_BUTTONS,
     CONF_KEYS,
     CONF_RECONNECT,
+    CONF_ADVERTISE_ON_START,
     CONF_TEXT,
     CONF_USE_DEFAULT_LIBS,
     DOMAIN,
@@ -66,6 +67,7 @@
         cv.Optional(CONF_MANUFACTURER_ID, default=COMPONENT_CLASS): cv.Length(min=1),
         cv.Optional(CONF_BATTERY_LEVEL, default=100): cv.int_range(min=0, max=100),
         cv.Optional(CONF_RECONNECT, default=True): cv.boolean,
+        cv.Optional(CONF_ADVERTISE_ON_START, default=True): cv.boolean,
         cv.Optional(CONF_USE_DEFAULT_LIBS, default=False): cv.boolean,
         cv.Optional(CONF_BUTTONS, default=True): cv.boolean,
     }
@@ -90,6 +92,7 @@ async def to_code(config: dict) -> None:
         config[CONF_MANUFACTURER_ID],
         config[CONF_BATTERY_LEVEL],
         config[CONF_RECONNECT],
+        config[CONF_ADVERTISE_ON_START],
     )
 
     await cg.register_component(var, config)
diff --git a/components/ble_keyboard/ble_keyboard.cpp b/components/ble_keyboard/ble_keyboard.cpp
index 178d316..b93e3f3 100644
--- a/components/ble_keyboard/ble_keyboard.cpp
+++ b/components/ble_keyboard/ble_keyboard.cpp
@@ -15,19 +15,39 @@ namespace ble_keyboard {
 static const char *const TAG = "ble_keyboard";
 
 void Esp32BleKeyboard::setup() {
-  ESP_LOGI(TAG, "Setting up...");
+  if (this->setup_) {
+    ESP_LOGW(TAG, "BLE keyboard already setup.");
+    return;
+  }
+
+  ESP_LOGCONFIG(TAG, "Setting up BLE keyboard...");
 
   bleKeyboard.begin();
 
   pServer = BLEDevice::getServer();
 
+  ESP_LOGCONFIG(TAG, "advertiseOnDisconnect(%s)", this->reconnect_ ? "true" : "false");
   pServer->advertiseOnDisconnect(this->reconnect_);
 
+  if (!this->advertise_on_start_) {
+    ESP_LOGCONFIG(TAG, "stopAdvertising() because advertise_on_start is false");
+    pServer->stopAdvertising();
+  }
+
   bleKeyboard.releaseAll();
+  this->setup_ = true;
+  ESP_LOGCONFIG(TAG, "Finished setting up up BLE keyboard.");
 }
 
 void Esp32BleKeyboard::stop() {
+  if (!this->setup_) {
+    ESP_LOGW(TAG, "Attempting to use without setup.  Not doing anything.");
+    return;
+  }
+
+  ESP_LOGD(TAG, "stop()");
   if (this->reconnect_) {
+    ESP_LOGD(TAG, "advertiseOnDisconnect(false)");
     pServer->advertiseOnDisconnect(false);
   }
 
@@ -43,7 +63,13 @@ void Esp32BleKeyboard::stop() {
 }
 
 void Esp32BleKeyboard::start() {
+  if (!this->setup_) {
+    ESP_LOGW(TAG, "Attempting to use without setup.  Not doing anything.");
+    return;
+  }
+  ESP_LOGD(TAG, "start()");
   if (this->reconnect_) {
+    ESP_LOGD(TAG, "advertiseOnDisconnect(true)");
     pServer->advertiseOnDisconnect(true);
   }
 
@@ -68,6 +94,10 @@ void Esp32BleKeyboard::update_timer() {
 }
 
 void Esp32BleKeyboard::press(std::string message) {
+  if (!this->setup_) {
+    ESP_LOGW(TAG, "Attempting to use without setup.  Not doing anything.");
+    return;
+  }
   if (this->is_connected()) {
     if (message.length() >= 5) {
       for (unsigned i = 0; i < message.length(); i += 5) {
@@ -84,6 +114,10 @@ void Esp32BleKeyboard::press(std::string message) {
 }
 
 void Esp32BleKeyboard::press(uint8_t key, bool with_timer) {
+  if (!this->setup_) {
+    ESP_LOGW(TAG, "Attempting to use without setup.  Not doing anything.");
+    return;
+  }
   if (this->is_connected()) {
     if (with_timer) {
       this->update_timer();
@@ -94,6 +128,10 @@ void Esp32BleKeyboard::press(uint8_t key, bool with_timer) {
 }
 
 void Esp32BleKeyboard::press(MediaKeyReport key, bool with_timer) {
+  if (!this->setup_) {
+    ESP_LOGW(TAG, "Attempting to use without setup.  Not doing anything.");
+    return;
+  }
   if (this->is_connected()) {
     if (with_timer) {
       this->update_timer();
@@ -103,6 +141,10 @@ void Esp32BleKeyboard::press(MediaKeyReport key, bool with_timer) {
 }
 
 void Esp32BleKeyboard::release() {
+  if (!this->setup_) {
+    ESP_LOGW(TAG, "Attempting to use without setup.  Not doing anything.");
+    return;
+  }
   if (this->is_connected()) {
     this->cancel_timeout((const std::string) TAG);
     bleKeyboard.releaseAll();
@@ -111,4 +153,4 @@ void Esp32BleKeyboard::release() {
 }  // namespace ble_keyboard
 }  // namespace esphome
 
-#endif
\ No newline at end of file
+#endif
diff --git a/components/ble_keyboard/ble_keyboard.h b/components/ble_keyboard/ble_keyboard.h
index c575f1f..d3580ce 100644
--- a/components/ble_keyboard/ble_keyboard.h
+++ b/components/ble_keyboard/ble_keyboard.h
@@ -12,9 +12,11 @@ namespace esphome {
 namespace ble_keyboard {
 class Esp32BleKeyboard : public PollingComponent {
  public:
-  Esp32BleKeyboard(std::string name, std::string manufacturer_id, uint8_t battery_level, bool reconnect)
+  Esp32BleKeyboard(std::string name, std::string manufacturer_id, uint8_t battery_level, bool reconnect,
+                   bool advertise_on_start)
       : PollingComponent(1000), bleKeyboard(name, manufacturer_id, battery_level) {
     reconnect_ = reconnect;
+    advertise_on_start_ = advertise_on_start;
   }
 
   void setup() override;
@@ -46,7 +48,9 @@ class Esp32BleKeyboard : public PollingComponent {
   BLEServer *pServer;
   BleKeyboard bleKeyboard;
 
+  bool setup_{false};
   bool reconnect_{true};
+  bool advertise_on_start_{true};
   uint32_t default_delay_{100};
   uint32_t release_delay_{8};
 };
diff --git a/components/ble_keyboard/const.py b/components/ble_keyboard/const.py
index 1f20b16..53e9fc8 100644
--- a/components/ble_keyboard/const.py
+++ b/components/ble_keyboard/const.py
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@
 CONF_TEXT: Final = "text"
 CONF_KEYS: Final = "keys"
 CONF_RECONNECT: Final = "reconnect"
+CONF_ADVERTISE_ON_START: Final = "advertise_on_start"
 CONF_BUTTONS: Final = "buttons"
 CONF_USE_DEFAULT_LIBS: Final = "use_default_libs"