diff --git a/stmhal/Makefile b/stmhal/Makefile
index 3b70f6b935..d1f5118ff9 100644
--- a/stmhal/Makefile
+++ b/stmhal/Makefile
@@ -145,6 +145,7 @@ SRC_C = \
 	pybstdio.c \
 	help.c \
 	input.c \
+	machine_i2c.c \
 	modmachine.c \
 	modpyb.c \
 	modstm.c \
diff --git a/stmhal/machine_i2c.c b/stmhal/machine_i2c.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f4ed7128fc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/stmhal/machine_i2c.c
@@ -0,0 +1,151 @@
+/*
+ * This file is part of the MicroPython project, http://micropython.org/
+ *
+ * The MIT License (MIT)
+ *
+ * Copyright (c) 2016 Damien P. George
+ *
+ * Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy
+ * of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal
+ * in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights
+ * to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell
+ * copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is
+ * furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:
+ *
+ * The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in
+ * all copies or substantial portions of the Software.
+ *
+ * THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR
+ * IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
+ * FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE
+ * AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER
+ * LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM,
+ * OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN
+ * THE SOFTWARE.
+ */
+
+#include <stdio.h>
+#include <string.h>
+
+#include "py/runtime.h"
+#include "py/mphal.h"
+#include "extmod/machine_i2c.h"
+#include "genhdr/pins.h"
+
+// for now we use the SW I2C implementation for the HW peripheral I2C blocks
+typedef mp_machine_soft_i2c_obj_t machine_hard_i2c_obj_t;
+
+STATIC const mp_obj_type_t machine_hard_i2c_type;
+
+STATIC machine_hard_i2c_obj_t machine_hard_i2c_obj[] = {
+    #if defined(MICROPY_HW_I2C1_SCL)
+    {{&machine_hard_i2c_type}, 1, 500, &MICROPY_HW_I2C1_SCL, &MICROPY_HW_I2C1_SDA},
+    #else
+    {{NULL}, 0, 0, NULL, NULL},
+    #endif
+    #if defined(MICROPY_HW_I2C2_SCL)
+    {{&machine_hard_i2c_type}, 1, 500, &MICROPY_HW_I2C2_SCL, &MICROPY_HW_I2C2_SDA},
+    #else
+    {{NULL}, 0, 0, NULL, NULL},
+    #endif
+    #if defined(MICROPY_HW_I2C3_SCL)
+    {{&machine_hard_i2c_type}, 1, 500, &MICROPY_HW_I2C3_SCL, &MICROPY_HW_I2C3_SDA},
+    #else
+    {{NULL}, 0, 0, NULL, NULL},
+    #endif
+};
+
+STATIC void machine_hard_i2c_print(const mp_print_t *print, mp_obj_t self_in, mp_print_kind_t kind) {
+    machine_hard_i2c_obj_t *self = MP_OBJ_TO_PTR(self_in);
+    mp_printf(print, "I2C(%u, scl=%q, sda=%q, freq=%u, timeout=%u)",
+        self - &machine_hard_i2c_obj[0] + 1,
+        self->scl->name, self->sda->name, 500000 / self->us_delay, self->us_timeout);
+}
+
+mp_obj_t machine_hard_i2c_make_new(const mp_obj_type_t *type, size_t n_args, size_t n_kw, const mp_obj_t *all_args) {
+    // parse args
+    enum { ARG_id, ARG_scl, ARG_sda, ARG_freq, ARG_timeout };
+    static const mp_arg_t allowed_args[] = {
+        { MP_QSTR_id, MP_ARG_REQUIRED | MP_ARG_OBJ },
+        { MP_QSTR_scl, MP_ARG_KW_ONLY | MP_ARG_OBJ, {.u_obj = MP_OBJ_NULL} },
+        { MP_QSTR_sda, MP_ARG_KW_ONLY | MP_ARG_OBJ, {.u_obj = MP_OBJ_NULL} },
+        { MP_QSTR_freq, MP_ARG_KW_ONLY | MP_ARG_INT, {.u_int = -1} },
+        { MP_QSTR_timeout, MP_ARG_KW_ONLY | MP_ARG_INT, {.u_int = -1} },
+    };
+    mp_arg_val_t args[MP_ARRAY_SIZE(allowed_args)];
+    mp_arg_parse_all_kw_array(n_args, n_kw, all_args, MP_ARRAY_SIZE(allowed_args), allowed_args, args);
+
+    // work out i2c bus
+    int i2c_id = 0;
+    if (MP_OBJ_IS_STR(args[ARG_id].u_obj)) {
+        const char *port = mp_obj_str_get_str(args[ARG_id].u_obj);
+        if (0) {
+        #ifdef MICROPY_HW_I2C1_NAME
+        } else if (strcmp(port, MICROPY_HW_I2C1_NAME) == 0) {
+            i2c_id = 1;
+        #endif
+        #ifdef MICROPY_HW_I2C2_NAME
+        } else if (strcmp(port, MICROPY_HW_I2C2_NAME) == 0) {
+            i2c_id = 2;
+        #endif
+        #ifdef MICROPY_HW_I2C3_NAME
+        } else if (strcmp(port, MICROPY_HW_I2C3_NAME) == 0) {
+            i2c_id = 3;
+        #endif
+        } else {
+            nlr_raise(mp_obj_new_exception_msg_varg(&mp_type_ValueError,
+                "I2C(%s) does not exist", port));
+        }
+    } else {
+        i2c_id = mp_obj_get_int(args[ARG_id].u_obj);
+        if (i2c_id < 1 || i2c_id > MP_ARRAY_SIZE(machine_hard_i2c_obj)
+            || machine_hard_i2c_obj[i2c_id - 1].base.type == NULL) {
+            nlr_raise(mp_obj_new_exception_msg_varg(&mp_type_ValueError,
+                "I2C(%d) does not exist", i2c_id));
+        }
+    }
+
+    // get static peripheral object
+    machine_hard_i2c_obj_t *self = &machine_hard_i2c_obj[i2c_id - 1];
+
+    // here we would check the scl/sda pins and configure them, but it's not implemented
+    if (args[ARG_scl].u_obj != MP_OBJ_NULL || args[ARG_sda].u_obj != MP_OBJ_NULL) {
+        mp_raise_ValueError("explicit choice of scl/sda is not implemented");
+    }
+
+    // set parameters
+    if (args[ARG_freq].u_int != -1) {
+        if (args[ARG_freq].u_int >= 1000000) {
+            // allow fastest possible bit-bang rate
+            self->us_delay = 0;
+        } else {
+            self->us_delay = 500000 / args[ARG_freq].u_int;
+            if (self->us_delay == 0) {
+                self->us_delay = 1;
+            }
+        }
+    }
+    if (args[ARG_timeout].u_int != -1) {
+        self->us_timeout = args[ARG_timeout].u_int;
+    }
+
+    // init pins
+    mp_hal_pin_open_drain(self->scl);
+    mp_hal_pin_open_drain(self->sda);
+
+    return MP_OBJ_FROM_PTR(self);
+}
+
+STATIC const mp_machine_i2c_p_t machine_hard_i2c_p = {
+    .readfrom = mp_machine_soft_i2c_readfrom,
+    .writeto = mp_machine_soft_i2c_writeto,
+};
+
+STATIC const mp_obj_type_t machine_hard_i2c_type = {
+    { &mp_type_type },
+    .name = MP_QSTR_I2C,
+    .print = machine_hard_i2c_print,
+    .make_new = machine_hard_i2c_make_new,
+    .protocol = &machine_hard_i2c_p,
+    .locals_dict = (mp_obj_dict_t*)&mp_machine_soft_i2c_locals_dict,
+};
diff --git a/stmhal/mpconfigport.h b/stmhal/mpconfigport.h
index 66ec364724..ed9e26f37c 100644
--- a/stmhal/mpconfigport.h
+++ b/stmhal/mpconfigport.h
@@ -103,6 +103,7 @@
 #define MICROPY_PY_MACHINE          (1)
 #define MICROPY_PY_MACHINE_PULSE    (1)
 #define MICROPY_PY_MACHINE_I2C      (1)
+#define MICROPY_PY_MACHINE_I2C_MAKE_NEW machine_hard_i2c_make_new
 #define MICROPY_PY_MACHINE_SPI      (1)
 #define MICROPY_PY_MACHINE_SPI_MIN_DELAY (0)
 #define MICROPY_PY_FRAMEBUF         (1)