diff --git a/src/border_agent/border_agent.cpp b/src/border_agent/border_agent.cpp
index 20fd22edca5..ce620d116c1 100644
--- a/src/border_agent/border_agent.cpp
+++ b/src/border_agent/border_agent.cpp
@@ -250,10 +250,10 @@ void BorderAgent::SetEphemeralKeyEnabled(bool aIsEnabled)
 
     if (!mIsEphemeralKeyEnabled)
     {
-        // If the ePSKc feature is enabled, we call the clear function which
+        // If the ePSKc feature is enabled, we call the stop function which
         // will wait for the session to close if it is in active use before
         // removing ephemeral key and unpublishing the service.
-        otBorderAgentClearEphemeralKey(mHost.GetInstance());
+        otBorderAgentEphemeralKeyStop(mHost.GetInstance());
     }
 
     UpdateMeshCopService();
@@ -281,7 +281,7 @@ void BorderAgent::Start(void)
     mServiceInstanceName = GetServiceInstanceNameWithExtAddr(mBaseServiceInstanceName);
     UpdateMeshCopService();
 
-    otBorderAgentSetEphemeralKeyCallback(mHost.GetInstance(), BorderAgent::HandleEpskcStateChanged, this);
+    otBorderAgentEphemeralKeySetCallback(mHost.GetInstance(), BorderAgent::HandleEpskcStateChanged, this);
 }
 
 void BorderAgent::Stop(void)
@@ -292,18 +292,25 @@ void BorderAgent::Stop(void)
 
 void BorderAgent::HandleEpskcStateChanged(void *aContext)
 {
-    BorderAgent *borderAgent = static_cast<BorderAgent *>(aContext);
+    static_cast<BorderAgent *>(aContext)->HandleEpskcStateChanged();
+}
 
-    if (otBorderAgentIsEphemeralKeyActive(borderAgent->mHost.GetInstance()))
-    {
-        borderAgent->PublishEpskcService();
-    }
-    else
+void BorderAgent::HandleEpskcStateChanged(void)
+{
+    switch (otBorderAgentEphemeralKeyGetState(mHost.GetInstance()))
     {
-        borderAgent->UnpublishEpskcService();
+    case OT_BORDER_AGENT_STATE_STARTED:
+    case OT_BORDER_AGENT_STATE_CONNECTED:
+    case OT_BORDER_AGENT_STATE_ACCEPTED:
+        PublishEpskcService();
+        break;
+    case OT_BORDER_AGENT_STATE_DISABLED:
+    case OT_BORDER_AGENT_STATE_STOPPED:
+        UnpublishEpskcService();
+        break;
     }
 
-    for (auto &ephemeralKeyCallback : borderAgent->mEphemeralKeyChangedCallbacks)
+    for (auto &ephemeralKeyCallback : mEphemeralKeyChangedCallbacks)
     {
         ephemeralKeyCallback();
     }
@@ -312,7 +319,7 @@ void BorderAgent::HandleEpskcStateChanged(void *aContext)
 void BorderAgent::PublishEpskcService()
 {
     otInstance *instance = mHost.GetInstance();
-    int         port     = otBorderAgentGetUdpPort(instance);
+    int         port     = otBorderAgentEphemeralKeyGetUdpPort(instance);
 
     otbrLogInfo("Publish meshcop-e service %s.%s.local. port %d", mServiceInstanceName.c_str(),
                 kBorderAgentEpskcServiceType, port);
@@ -583,7 +590,7 @@ void BorderAgent::PublishMeshCopService(void)
 
     AppendVendorTxtEntries(mMeshCopTxtUpdate, txtList);
 
-    if (otBorderAgentGetState(instance) != OT_BORDER_AGENT_STATE_STOPPED)
+    if (otBorderAgentIsActive(instance))
     {
         port = otBorderAgentGetUdpPort(instance);
     }
diff --git a/src/border_agent/border_agent.hpp b/src/border_agent/border_agent.hpp
index bf5a9275c6d..ece64d135c0 100644
--- a/src/border_agent/border_agent.hpp
+++ b/src/border_agent/border_agent.hpp
@@ -177,6 +177,7 @@ class BorderAgent : public Mdns::StateObserver, private NonCopyable
     std::string GetAlternativeServiceInstanceName() const;
 
     static void HandleEpskcStateChanged(void *aContext);
+    void        HandleEpskcStateChanged(void);
     void        PublishEpskcService(void);
     void        UnpublishEpskcService(void);
 
diff --git a/src/dbus/server/dbus_thread_object_rcp.cpp b/src/dbus/server/dbus_thread_object_rcp.cpp
index 3130f3a3e37..4ee4e2ea5f2 100644
--- a/src/dbus/server/dbus_thread_object_rcp.cpp
+++ b/src/dbus/server/dbus_thread_object_rcp.cpp
@@ -2014,11 +2014,25 @@ void DBusThreadObjectRcp::DeactivateEphemeralKeyModeHandler(DBusRequest &aReques
     VerifyOrExit(mBorderAgent.GetEphemeralKeyEnabled(), error = OT_ERROR_NOT_CAPABLE);
 
     SuccessOrExit(DBusMessageToTuple(*aRequest.GetMessage(), args), error = OT_ERROR_INVALID_ARGS);
-    if (!retain_active_session)
+
+    // Stop the ephemeral key use if
+    //  - there is no active session, or
+    //  - there is a connected session and we should not `retain_active_session`.
+
+    swicth (otBorderAgentEphemeralKeyGetState(threadHelper->GetInstance()))
     {
-        otBorderAgentDisconnect(threadHelper->GetInstance());
+    case OT_BORDER_AGENT_STATE_STARTED:
+        break;
+    case OT_BORDER_AGENT_STATE_CONNECTED:
+    case OT_BORDER_AGENT_STATE_ACCEPTED:
+        VerifyOrExit(!retain_active_session);
+        break;
+    case OT_BORDER_AGENT_STATE_DISABLED:
+    case OT_BORDER_AGENT_STATE_STOPPED:
+        ExitNow();
     }
-    otBorderAgentClearEphemeralKey(threadHelper->GetInstance());
+
+    otBorderAgentEphemeralKeyStop(threadHelper->GetInstance());
 
 exit:
     aRequest.ReplyOtResult(error);
@@ -2040,8 +2054,8 @@ void DBusThreadObjectRcp::ActivateEphemeralKeyModeHandler(DBusRequest &aRequest)
     SuccessOrExit(mBorderAgent.CreateEphemeralKey(ePskc), error = OT_ERROR_INVALID_ARGS);
     otbrLogInfo("Created Ephemeral Key: %s", ePskc.c_str());
 
-    SuccessOrExit(error = otBorderAgentSetEphemeralKey(threadHelper->GetInstance(), ePskc.c_str(), lifetime,
-                                                       OTBR_CONFIG_BORDER_AGENT_MESHCOP_E_UDP_PORT));
+    SuccessOrExit(error = otBorderAgentEphemeralKeyStart(threadHelper->GetInstance(), ePskc.c_str(), lifetime,
+                                                         OTBR_CONFIG_BORDER_AGENT_MESHCOP_E_UDP_PORT));
 
 exit:
     if (error == OT_ERROR_NONE)