diff --git a/interfaces/builtin/i2c_controller.go b/interfaces/builtin/i2c_controller.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..4a53f6a90fa1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/interfaces/builtin/i2c_controller.go
@@ -0,0 +1,137 @@
+// -*- Mode: Go; indent-tabs-mode: t -*-
+
+/*
+ * Copyright (C) 2016 Canonical Ltd
+ *
+ * This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+ * it under the terms of the GNU General Public License version 3 as
+ * published by the Free Software Foundation.
+ *
+ * This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+ * GNU General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+ * along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+ *
+ */
+
+package builtin
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"regexp"
+
+	"github.com/snapcore/snapd/interfaces"
+)
+
+// I2CControllerInterface is the type of all the i2c-controller interfaces.
+type I2CControllerInterface struct{}
+
+// String returns the same value as Name().
+func (iface *I2CControllerInterface) String() string {
+	return iface.Name()
+}
+
+// Name returns the name of the i2c-controller interface.
+func (iface *I2CControllerInterface) Name() string {
+	return "i2c-controller"
+}
+
+var i2cControllerPattern = regexp.MustCompile("^/dev/i2c-[0-9]$")
+
+// SanitizeSlot checks and possibly modifies a slot.
+// Valid "i2c-controller" slots must contain the attribute "path".
+func (iface *I2CControllerInterface) SanitizeSlot(slot *interfaces.Slot) error {
+	if iface.Name() != slot.Interface {
+		panic(fmt.Sprintf("slot is not of interface %q", iface))
+	}
+	path, ok := slot.Attrs["path"].(string)
+	if !ok || path == "" {
+		return fmt.Errorf("i2c-controller must contain the path attribute")
+	}
+	path = filepath.Clean(path)
+	if !i2cControllerPattern.MatchString(path) {
+		return fmt.Errorf("i2c-controller can only point at an i2c device node")
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
+// SanitizePlug checks and possibly modifies a plug.
+func (iface *I2CControllerInterface) SanitizePlug(slot *interfaces.Plug) error {
+	if iface.Name() != slot.Interface {
+		panic(fmt.Sprintf("plug is not of interface %q", iface))
+	}
+	// NOTE: currently we don't check anything on the plug side.
+	return nil
+}
+
+// ConnectedSlotSnippet returns security snippet specific to a given connection between the i2c-controller slot and some plug.
+// Applications associated with the slot don't gain any extra permissions.
+func (iface *I2CControllerInterface) ConnectedSlotSnippet(plug *interfaces.Plug, slot *interfaces.Slot, securitySystem interfaces.SecuritySystem) ([]byte, error) {
+	switch securitySystem {
+	case interfaces.SecurityAppArmor, interfaces.SecuritySecComp, interfaces.SecurityDBus, interfaces.SecurityUDev:
+		return nil, nil
+	default:
+		return nil, interfaces.ErrUnknownSecurity
+	}
+}
+
+// PermanentSlotSnippet returns security snippet permanently granted to i2c-controller slots.
+func (iface *I2CControllerInterface) PermanentSlotSnippet(slot *interfaces.Slot, securitySystem interfaces.SecuritySystem) ([]byte, error) {
+	switch securitySystem {
+	case interfaces.SecurityAppArmor, interfaces.SecuritySecComp, interfaces.SecurityDBus, interfaces.SecurityUDev:
+		return nil, nil
+	default:
+		return nil, interfaces.ErrUnknownSecurity
+	}
+}
+
+// ConnectedPlugSnippet returns security snippet specific to a given connection between the i2c-controller plug and some slot.
+// Applications associated with the plug gain permission to read, write and lock the designated file.
+func (iface *I2CControllerInterface) ConnectedPlugSnippet(plug *interfaces.Plug, slot *interfaces.Slot, securitySystem interfaces.SecuritySystem) ([]byte, error) {
+	switch securitySystem {
+	case interfaces.SecurityAppArmor:
+		path, err := iface.devicePath(slot)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("cannot compute plug security snippet: %v", err)
+		}
+		return []byte(fmt.Sprintf("%s rwk,\n", path)), nil
+	case interfaces.SecuritySecComp, interfaces.SecurityDBus, interfaces.SecurityUDev:
+		return nil, nil
+	default:
+		return nil, interfaces.ErrUnknownSecurity
+	}
+}
+
+// PermanentPlugSnippet returns the configuration snippet required to use a i2c-controller interface.
+// Applications associated with the plug don't gain any extra permissions.
+func (iface *I2CControllerInterface) PermanentPlugSnippet(plug *interfaces.Plug, securitySystem interfaces.SecuritySystem) ([]byte, error) {
+	switch securitySystem {
+	case interfaces.SecurityAppArmor, interfaces.SecuritySecComp, interfaces.SecurityDBus, interfaces.SecurityUDev:
+		return nil, nil
+	default:
+		return nil, interfaces.ErrUnknownSecurity
+	}
+}
+
+func (iface *I2CControllerInterface) devicePath(slot *interfaces.Slot) (string, error) {
+	if path, ok := slot.Attrs["path"].(string); ok {
+		path, err := evalSymlinks(path)
+		if err != nil {
+			return "", err
+		}
+		return filepath.Clean(path), nil
+	}
+	panic("slot is not sanitized")
+}
+
+// AutoConnect returns true if plugs and slots should be implicitly
+// auto-connected when an unambiguous connection candidate is available.
+//
+// This interface does not auto-connect.
+func (iface *I2CControllerInterface) AutoConnect() bool {
+	return false
+}