diff --git a/src/drivers/i2c/generic/chip.h b/src/drivers/i2c/generic/chip.h
index 284c9d1967..a99b09536e 100644
--- a/src/drivers/i2c/generic/chip.h
+++ b/src/drivers/i2c/generic/chip.h
@@ -31,6 +31,17 @@ struct drivers_i2c_generic_config {
 	 */
 	int probed;
 
+	/*
+	 * This flag will add a device property which will indicate
+	 * that coreboot should attempt to detect the device on the i2c
+	 * bus before generating a device entry in the SSDT.
+	 *
+	 * This can be used to declare a device that may not exist on
+	 * the board, for example to support multiple touchpads and/or
+	 * touchscreens.
+	 */
+	int detect;
+
 	/* GPIO used to indicate if this device is present */
 	unsigned int device_present_gpio;
 	unsigned int device_present_gpio_invert;
diff --git a/src/drivers/i2c/generic/generic.c b/src/drivers/i2c/generic/generic.c
index 656b9e6c16..872891b64b 100644
--- a/src/drivers/i2c/generic/generic.c
+++ b/src/drivers/i2c/generic/generic.c
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 #include <acpi/acpi_device.h>
 #include <acpi/acpigen.h>
 #include <console/console.h>
+#include <device/i2c_bus.h>
 #include <device/i2c_simple.h>
 #include <device/device.h>
 #include <device/path.h>
@@ -65,6 +66,17 @@ void i2c_generic_fill_ssdt(const struct device *dev,
 		return;
 	}
 
+	if (config->detect) {
+		struct device *const busdev = i2c_busdev(dev);
+		if (!i2c_dev_detect(busdev, dev->path.i2c.device)) {
+			printk(BIOS_SPEW, "%s: %s at %s -- NOT FOUND, skipping\n",
+				path,
+				config->desc ? : dev->chip_ops->name,
+				dev_path(dev));
+			return;
+		}
+	}
+
 	/* Device */
 	acpigen_write_scope(scope);
 	acpigen_write_device(acpi_device_name(dev));