diff --git a/homeassistant/components/assist_pipeline/pipeline.py b/homeassistant/components/assist_pipeline/pipeline.py
index d90424d52d3..96beaf792a7 100644
--- a/homeassistant/components/assist_pipeline/pipeline.py
+++ b/homeassistant/components/assist_pipeline/pipeline.py
@@ -1032,39 +1032,37 @@ class PipelineRun:
                 agent_id=self.intent_agent,
             )
 
-            # Sentence triggers override conversation agent
-            if (
-                trigger_response_text
-                := await conversation.async_handle_sentence_triggers(
-                    self.hass, user_input
-                )
-            ):
-                # Sentence trigger matched
-                trigger_response = intent.IntentResponse(
-                    self.pipeline.conversation_language
-                )
-                trigger_response.async_set_speech(trigger_response_text)
-                conversation_result = conversation.ConversationResult(
-                    response=trigger_response,
-                    conversation_id=user_input.conversation_id,
-                )
-            # Try local intents first, if preferred.
-            # Skip this step if the default agent is already used.
-            elif (
-                self.pipeline.prefer_local_intents
-                and (user_input.agent_id != conversation.HOME_ASSISTANT_AGENT)
-                and (
+            conversation_result: conversation.ConversationResult | None = None
+            if user_input.agent_id != conversation.HOME_ASSISTANT_AGENT:
+                # Sentence triggers override conversation agent
+                if (
+                    trigger_response_text
+                    := await conversation.async_handle_sentence_triggers(
+                        self.hass, user_input
+                    )
+                ):
+                    # Sentence trigger matched
+                    trigger_response = intent.IntentResponse(
+                        self.pipeline.conversation_language
+                    )
+                    trigger_response.async_set_speech(trigger_response_text)
+                    conversation_result = conversation.ConversationResult(
+                        response=trigger_response,
+                        conversation_id=user_input.conversation_id,
+                    )
+                # Try local intents first, if preferred.
+                elif self.pipeline.prefer_local_intents and (
                     intent_response := await conversation.async_handle_intents(
                         self.hass, user_input
                     )
-                )
-            ):
-                # Local intent matched
-                conversation_result = conversation.ConversationResult(
-                    response=intent_response,
-                    conversation_id=user_input.conversation_id,
-                )
-            else:
+                ):
+                    # Local intent matched
+                    conversation_result = conversation.ConversationResult(
+                        response=intent_response,
+                        conversation_id=user_input.conversation_id,
+                    )
+
+            if conversation_result is None:
                 # Fall back to pipeline conversation agent
                 conversation_result = await conversation.async_converse(
                     hass=self.hass,
diff --git a/tests/components/assist_pipeline/test_init.py b/tests/components/assist_pipeline/test_init.py
index bdca27d527f..a8ada11fb45 100644
--- a/tests/components/assist_pipeline/test_init.py
+++ b/tests/components/assist_pipeline/test_init.py
@@ -941,7 +941,7 @@ async def test_sentence_trigger_overrides_conversation_agent(
     init_components,
     pipeline_data: assist_pipeline.pipeline.PipelineData,
 ) -> None:
-    """Test that sentence triggers are checked before the conversation agent."""
+    """Test that sentence triggers are checked before a non-default conversation agent."""
     assert await async_setup_component(
         hass,
         "automation",
@@ -975,9 +975,16 @@ async def test_sentence_trigger_overrides_conversation_agent(
             start_stage=assist_pipeline.PipelineStage.INTENT,
             end_stage=assist_pipeline.PipelineStage.INTENT,
             event_callback=events.append,
+            intent_agent="test-agent",  # not the default agent
         ),
     )
-    await pipeline_input.validate()
+
+    # Ensure prepare succeeds
+    with patch(
+        "homeassistant.components.assist_pipeline.pipeline.conversation.async_get_agent_info",
+        return_value=conversation.AgentInfo(id="test-agent", name="Test Agent"),
+    ):
+        await pipeline_input.validate()
 
     with patch(
         "homeassistant.components.assist_pipeline.pipeline.conversation.async_converse"