diff --git a/src/components-lib/live/providers/webrtc-card/controller.ts b/src/components-lib/live/providers/webrtc-card/controller.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..6fb32df5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/components-lib/live/providers/webrtc-card/controller.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,143 @@
+import type { ReactiveController, ReactiveControllerHost } from 'lit';
+import { isEqual } from 'lodash-es';
+
+import type { Camera } from '../../../../camera-manager/camera';
+import type {
+  HomeAssistant,
+  LovelaceCard,
+  LovelaceCardConfig,
+} from '../../../../ha/types';
+
+// The custom element name AlexxIT's WebRTC Card registers itself under.
+export const WEBRTC_CARD_ELEMENT_NAME = 'webrtc-camera';
+
+interface WebRTCCardControllerOptions {
+  // Called when an element that was handed out is discarded.
+  destroyCallback: () => void;
+}
+
+interface WebRTCCardElementRequest {
+  camera?: Camera;
+  hass?: HomeAssistant;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Owns the lifetime of the `webrtc-camera` element for
+ * `advanced-camera-card-live-webrtc-card`.
+ *
+ * The element is a stateful player: it negotiates a peer connection on
+ * construction and tears it down when removed from the DOM. A LIT child binding
+ * compares nodes by identity, so returning a fresh instance for an unrelated
+ * render (e.g. a zoom, a controls toggle) would restart the stream. The same
+ * element is therefore returned until the config changes.
+ *
+ * See: https://github.com/dermotduffy/advanced-camera-card/issues/2625
+ */
+export class WebRTCCardController implements ReactiveController {
+  private _options: WebRTCCardControllerOptions;
+
+  private _element: LovelaceCard | null = null;
+  private _config: LovelaceCardConfig | null = null;
+
+  constructor(host: ReactiveControllerHost, options: WebRTCCardControllerOptions) {
+    this._options = options;
+    host.addController(this);
+  }
+
+  public hostDisconnected(): void {
+    // The player is not reused across a detach.
+    // See: https://github.com/dermotduffy/advanced-camera-card/issues/996
+    this._destroy();
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Wait for the WebRTC Card to register its custom element. Must be awaited
+   * before an element is requested.
+   */
+  public async awaitRegistration(): Promise<void> {
+    await customElements.whenDefined(WEBRTC_CARD_ELEMENT_NAME);
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Get the element for the given inputs, constructing it if necessary.
+   * @returns The element, or `null` if it cannot yet be constructed.
+   * @throws If the WebRTC card rejects the configuration.
+   */
+  public getElement(request: WebRTCCardElementRequest): HTMLElement | null {
+    const config = this._createConfig(request.camera);
+    const hass = request.hass;
+
+    if (!config || !hass) {
+      this._destroy();
+      return null;
+    }
+
+    if (this._element && isEqual(this._config, config)) {
+      this._element.hass = hass;
+      return this._element;
+    }
+
+    // Discard the outgoing element before the replacement is built, so a
+    // configuration the WebRTC card rejects leaves no element behind rather
+    // than a stale one.
+    this._destroy();
+
+    const element = document.createElement(WEBRTC_CARD_ELEMENT_NAME);
+
+    element.setConfig(config);
+    element.hass = hass;
+
+    this._element = element;
+    this._config = config;
+
+    return element;
+  }
+
+  private _createConfig(camera?: Camera): LovelaceCardConfig | null {
+    if (!camera) {
+      return null;
+    }
+
+    const cameraConfig = camera.getConfig();
+    const config: LovelaceCardConfig = {
+      type: `custom:${WEBRTC_CARD_ELEMENT_NAME}`,
+
+      // By default, webrtc-card will stop the video when 50% of the video is
+      // hidden. This is incompatible with the card zoom support, since the
+      // video will easily stop if the user zooms in too much. Disable this
+      // feature by default.
+      // See: https://github.com/dermotduffy/advanced-camera-card/issues/1614
+      intersection: 0,
+
+      // Advanced Camera Card always starts muted (unlike webrtc-card).
+      // See: https://github.com/dermotduffy/advanced-camera-card/issues/1654
+      muted: true,
+
+      ...cameraConfig.webrtc_card,
+    };
+
+    const webrtcCardEndpoint = camera.getEndpoints()?.webrtcCard;
+    if (!config.url && !config.entity && webrtcCardEndpoint) {
+      config.entity = webrtcCardEndpoint.endpoint;
+    }
+
+    return config;
+  }
+
+  private _destroy(): void {
+    if (!this._element) {
+      return;
+    }
+
+    this._element = null;
+    this._config = null;
+
+    this._options.destroyCallback();
+  }
+}
+
+declare global {
+  interface HTMLElementTagNameMap {
+    'webrtc-camera': LovelaceCard;
+  }
+}
diff --git a/src/components/live/providers/webrtc-card.ts b/src/components/live/providers/webrtc-card.ts
index c6f87cf3..0c52693a 100644
--- a/src/components/live/providers/webrtc-card.ts
+++ b/src/components/live/providers/webrtc-card.ts
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import {
 import { customElement, property, state } from 'lit/decorators.js';
 
 import type { Camera } from '../../../camera-manager/camera.js';
+import { WebRTCCardController } from '../../../components-lib/live/providers/webrtc-card/controller.js';
 import { dispatchLiveErrorEvent } from '../../../components-lib/live/utils/dispatch-live-error.js';
 import { getTechnologyForVideoRTC } from '../../../components-lib/live/utils/get-technology-for-video-rtc.js';
 import { MediaLoadedInfoSourceController } from '../../../components-lib/media-loaded-info-source-controller.js';
@@ -82,12 +83,24 @@ export class AdvancedCameraCardLiveWebRTCCard extends LitElement implements Medi
     getTargetID: () => this.targetID ?? null,
   });
 
+  private _webrtcCardController = new WebRTCCardController(this, {
+    // The video belongs to the discarded element, so it must stop being claimed
+    // -- otherwise the card would be told media is loaded during the window
+    // where there is no element at all, and would keep believing it if the
+    // replacement never loads.
+    destroyCallback: () => this._mediaLoadedInfoSourceController.clear(),
+  });
+
   public async getMediaPlayerController(): Promise<MediaPlayerController | null> {
     return this._mediaPlayerController;
   }
 
   // A task to await the load of the WebRTC component.
-  private _webrtcTask = new Task(this, this._getWebRTCCardElement, () => [1]);
+  private _webrtcTask = new Task(
+    this,
+    () => this._webrtcCardController.awaitRegistration(),
+    () => [1],
+  );
 
   connectedCallback(): void {
     super.connectedCallback();
@@ -101,12 +114,6 @@ export class AdvancedCameraCardLiveWebRTCCard extends LitElement implements Medi
     this._videoRTC = null;
     this._notification = null;
 
-    // A reconnect builds a brand new WebRTC element, so the video that was
-    // announced is gone and must stop being claimed -- otherwise the card would
-    // be told media is loaded during the window where there is no element at
-    // all, and would keep believing it if the replacement never loads.
-    this._mediaLoadedInfoSourceController.clear();
-
     super.disconnectedCallback();
   }
 
@@ -124,47 +131,6 @@ export class AdvancedCameraCardLiveWebRTCCard extends LitElement implements Medi
     return this._videoRTC?.video ?? null;
   }
 
-  private async _getWebRTCCardElement(): Promise<CustomElementConstructor | undefined> {
-    await customElements.whenDefined('webrtc-camera');
-    return customElements.get('webrtc-camera');
-  }
-
-  /**
-   * Create the WebRTC element. May throw.
-   */
-  private _createWebRTC(): HTMLElement | null {
-    const webrtcElement = this._webrtcTask.value;
-    const cameraConfig = this.camera?.getConfig();
-    if (webrtcElement && this.hass && cameraConfig) {
-      const webrtc = new webrtcElement() as HTMLElement & {
-        hass: HomeAssistant;
-        setConfig: (config: Record<string, unknown>) => void;
-      };
-      const config = {
-        // By default, webrtc-card will stop the video when 50% of the video is
-        // hidden. This is incompatible with the card zoom support, since the
-        // video will easily stop if the user zooms in too much. Disable this
-        // feature by default.
-        // See: https://github.com/dermotduffy/advanced-camera-card/issues/1614
-        intersection: 0,
-
-        // Advanced Camera Card always starts muted (unlike webrtc-card).
-        // See: https://github.com/dermotduffy/advanced-camera-card/issues/1654
-        muted: true,
-
-        ...cameraConfig.webrtc_card,
-      };
-      const webrtcCardEndpoint = this.camera?.getEndpoints()?.webrtcCard;
-      if (!config.url && !config.entity && webrtcCardEndpoint) {
-        config.entity = webrtcCardEndpoint.endpoint;
-      }
-      webrtc.setConfig(config);
-      webrtc.hass = this.hass;
-      return webrtc;
-    }
-    return null;
-  }
-
   protected render(): TemplateResult | void {
     if (this._notification) {
       return renderNotificationBlock(this._notification);
@@ -173,7 +139,10 @@ export class AdvancedCameraCardLiveWebRTCCard extends LitElement implements Medi
     const render = (): TemplateResult | void => {
       let webrtcElement: HTMLElement | null;
       try {
-        webrtcElement = this._createWebRTC();
+        webrtcElement = this._webrtcCardController.getElement({
+          camera: this.camera,
+          hass: this.hass,
+        });
       } catch (e) {
         this._notification = createMediaNotification({
           title: localize('error.webrtc_card_reported_error'),
diff --git a/tests/components-lib/live/providers/webrtc-card/controller.test.ts b/tests/components-lib/live/providers/webrtc-card/controller.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..fec8265a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/components-lib/live/providers/webrtc-card/controller.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,255 @@
+import { beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest';
+import { mock } from 'vitest-mock-extended';
+
+import type { Camera } from '../../../../../src/camera-manager/camera';
+import {
+  WEBRTC_CARD_ELEMENT_NAME,
+  WebRTCCardController,
+} from '../../../../../src/components-lib/live/providers/webrtc-card/controller';
+import type { HomeAssistant, LovelaceCardConfig } from '../../../../../src/ha/types';
+import { createCameraConfig } from '../../../../config/test-utils';
+import { createHASS, createLitElement } from '../../../../test-utils';
+
+// Configuring this entity makes the stand-in card below reject the
+// configuration, as AlexxIT's card does when given no usable stream.
+const REJECTED_ENTITY = 'camera.rejected';
+
+class TestWebRTCCard extends HTMLElement {
+  public hass?: HomeAssistant;
+  public setConfig = vi.fn((config: LovelaceCardConfig): void => {
+    if (config.entity === REJECTED_ENTITY) {
+      throw new Error('Missing `url` or `entity` or `streams`');
+    }
+  });
+}
+
+customElements.define(WEBRTC_CARD_ELEMENT_NAME, TestWebRTCCard);
+
+const asTestCard = (element: HTMLElement | null): TestWebRTCCard | null =>
+  element instanceof TestWebRTCCard ? element : null;
+
+const createCamera = (options?: {
+  webrtc_card?: Record<string, unknown>;
+  webrtcCardEndpoint?: string;
+}): Camera => {
+  const camera = mock<Camera>();
+  camera.getConfig.mockReturnValue(
+    createCameraConfig({ webrtc_card: options?.webrtc_card }),
+  );
+  camera.getEndpoints.mockReturnValue(
+    options?.webrtcCardEndpoint
+      ? { webrtcCard: { endpoint: options.webrtcCardEndpoint } }
+      : {},
+  );
+  return camera;
+};
+
+const createController = (options?: { destroyCallback?: () => void }) => {
+  const host = createLitElement();
+  const destroyCallback = options?.destroyCallback ?? vi.fn();
+  const controller = new WebRTCCardController(host, { destroyCallback });
+  return { host, controller, destroyCallback };
+};
+
+const createRequest = (options?: {
+  webrtcCardEndpoint?: string;
+  hass?: HomeAssistant;
+}) => ({
+  camera: createCamera({
+    webrtcCardEndpoint: options?.webrtcCardEndpoint ?? 'camera.office',
+  }),
+  hass: options?.hass ?? createHASS(),
+});
+
+// @vitest-environment jsdom
+describe('WebRTCCardController', () => {
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    vi.clearAllMocks();
+  });
+
+  it('should register itself with the host', () => {
+    const { host, controller } = createController();
+
+    expect(host.addController).toHaveBeenCalledWith(controller);
+  });
+
+  it('should await the WebRTC card registration', async () => {
+    const { controller } = createController();
+
+    await expect(controller.awaitRegistration()).resolves.toBeUndefined();
+  });
+
+  describe('should not create an element', () => {
+    it('without a camera', () => {
+      const { controller } = createController();
+
+      expect(controller.getElement({ hass: createHASS() })).toBeNull();
+    });
+
+    it('without hass', () => {
+      const { controller } = createController();
+
+      expect(controller.getElement({ camera: createCamera() })).toBeNull();
+    });
+  });
+
+  describe('should create an element', () => {
+    it('with the card defaults', () => {
+      const { controller } = createController();
+      const hass = createHASS();
+
+      const element = controller.getElement(createRequest({ hass }));
+
+      expect(asTestCard(element)?.setConfig).toHaveBeenCalledWith({
+        type: 'custom:webrtc-camera',
+        intersection: 0,
+        muted: true,
+        entity: 'camera.office',
+      });
+      expect(asTestCard(element)?.hass).toBe(hass);
+    });
+
+    it('with user configuration overriding the defaults', () => {
+      const { controller } = createController();
+
+      const element = controller.getElement({
+        camera: createCamera({
+          webrtc_card: { muted: false, url: 'https://camera' },
+          webrtcCardEndpoint: 'camera.office',
+        }),
+        hass: createHASS(),
+      });
+
+      expect(asTestCard(element)?.setConfig).toHaveBeenCalledWith({
+        type: 'custom:webrtc-camera',
+        intersection: 0,
+        muted: false,
+        url: 'https://camera',
+      });
+    });
+
+    it('without an endpoint when the user configures an entity', () => {
+      const { controller } = createController();
+
+      const element = controller.getElement({
+        camera: createCamera({
+          webrtc_card: { entity: 'camera.configured' },
+          webrtcCardEndpoint: 'camera.office',
+        }),
+        hass: createHASS(),
+      });
+
+      expect(asTestCard(element)?.setConfig).toHaveBeenCalledWith({
+        type: 'custom:webrtc-camera',
+        intersection: 0,
+        muted: true,
+        entity: 'camera.configured',
+      });
+    });
+
+    it('without an endpoint at all', () => {
+      const { controller } = createController();
+
+      const element = controller.getElement({
+        camera: createCamera(),
+        hass: createHASS(),
+      });
+
+      expect(asTestCard(element)?.setConfig).toHaveBeenCalledWith({
+        type: 'custom:webrtc-camera',
+        intersection: 0,
+        muted: true,
+      });
+    });
+  });
+
+  describe('should reuse the element', () => {
+    it('when nothing changes', () => {
+      const { controller, destroyCallback } = createController();
+      const request = createRequest();
+
+      const element = controller.getElement(request);
+
+      expect(controller.getElement(request)).toBe(element);
+      expect(destroyCallback).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    });
+
+    it('when an equivalent camera replaces the old one', () => {
+      const { controller, destroyCallback } = createController();
+
+      const element = controller.getElement(createRequest());
+
+      expect(controller.getElement(createRequest())).toBe(element);
+      expect(destroyCallback).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    });
+
+    it('and give it the latest hass', () => {
+      const { controller } = createController();
+
+      const element = controller.getElement(createRequest());
+
+      const hass = createHASS();
+      controller.getElement(createRequest({ hass }));
+
+      expect(asTestCard(element)?.hass).toBe(hass);
+    });
+  });
+
+  describe('should rebuild the element', () => {
+    it('when the resolved configuration changes', () => {
+      const { controller, destroyCallback } = createController();
+
+      const element = controller.getElement(createRequest());
+
+      expect(
+        controller.getElement(createRequest({ webrtcCardEndpoint: 'camera.kitchen' })),
+      ).not.toBe(element);
+      expect(destroyCallback).toHaveBeenCalledOnce();
+    });
+  });
+
+  describe('should discard the element', () => {
+    it('when the inputs are no longer sufficient', () => {
+      const { controller, destroyCallback } = createController();
+
+      controller.getElement(createRequest());
+
+      expect(controller.getElement({ hass: createHASS() })).toBeNull();
+      expect(destroyCallback).toHaveBeenCalledOnce();
+    });
+
+    it('when the WebRTC card rejects the configuration', () => {
+      const { controller, destroyCallback } = createController();
+
+      controller.getElement(createRequest());
+
+      expect(() =>
+        controller.getElement(createRequest({ webrtcCardEndpoint: REJECTED_ENTITY })),
+      ).toThrow('Missing `url` or `entity` or `streams`');
+      expect(destroyCallback).toHaveBeenCalledOnce();
+
+      // The rejected element must not be cached: the next call rebuilds rather
+      // than handing back a stale element.
+      expect(controller.getElement(createRequest())).not.toBeNull();
+      expect(destroyCallback).toHaveBeenCalledOnce();
+    });
+
+    it('when the host disconnects', () => {
+      const { controller, destroyCallback } = createController();
+
+      const element = controller.getElement(createRequest());
+      controller.hostDisconnected();
+
+      expect(destroyCallback).toHaveBeenCalledOnce();
+      expect(controller.getElement(createRequest())).not.toBe(element);
+    });
+  });
+
+  it('should not invoke the destroy callback when there is no element', () => {
+    const { controller, destroyCallback } = createController();
+
+    controller.hostDisconnected();
+
+    expect(destroyCallback).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
+});