diff --git a/libraries/AP_Scripting/AP_Scripting.h b/libraries/AP_Scripting/AP_Scripting.h
index 71891fef4fe..29cbcd6f35e 100644
--- a/libraries/AP_Scripting/AP_Scripting.h
+++ b/libraries/AP_Scripting/AP_Scripting.h
@@ -20,6 +20,11 @@
 #include <AP_Param/AP_Param.h>
 #include <GCS_MAVLink/GCS.h>
 #include <AP_Filesystem/AP_Filesystem.h>
+#include <AP_HAL/I2CDevice.h>
+
+#ifndef SCRIPTING_MAX_NUM_I2C_DEVICE
+  #define SCRIPTING_MAX_NUM_I2C_DEVICE 4
+#endif
 
 class AP_Scripting
 {
@@ -56,6 +61,10 @@ public:
     };
     uint16_t get_disabled_dir() { return uint16_t(_dir_disable.get());}
 
+    // the number of and storage for i2c devices
+    uint8_t num_i2c_devices;
+    AP_HAL::OwnPtr<AP_HAL::I2CDevice> *_i2c_dev[SCRIPTING_MAX_NUM_I2C_DEVICE];
+
 private:
 
     bool repl_start(void);
diff --git a/libraries/AP_Scripting/lua_bindings.cpp b/libraries/AP_Scripting/lua_bindings.cpp
index be771ecffa2..15a6394b2b9 100644
--- a/libraries/AP_Scripting/lua_bindings.cpp
+++ b/libraries/AP_Scripting/lua_bindings.cpp
@@ -8,6 +8,8 @@
 #include "lua_boxed_numerics.h"
 #include <AP_Scripting/lua_generated_bindings.h>
 
+#include <AP_Scripting/AP_Scripting.h>
+
 extern const AP_HAL::HAL& hal;
 
 int check_arguments(lua_State *L, int expected_arguments, const char *fn_name);
@@ -250,11 +252,74 @@ const luaL_Reg AP_Logger_functions[] = {
     {NULL, NULL}
 };
 
+static int lua_get_i2c_device(lua_State *L) {
+
+    const int args = lua_gettop(L);
+    if (args < 2) {
+        return luaL_argerror(L, args, "require i2c bus and address");
+    }
+    if (args > 4) {
+        return luaL_argerror(L, args, "too many arguments");
+    }
+
+    const lua_Integer bus_in = luaL_checkinteger(L, 1);
+    luaL_argcheck(L, ((bus_in >= 0) && (bus_in <= 4)), 1, "bus out of range");
+    const uint8_t bus = static_cast<uint8_t>(bus_in);
+
+    const lua_Integer address_in = luaL_checkinteger(L, 2);
+    luaL_argcheck(L, ((address_in >= 0) && (address_in <= 128)), 2, "address out of range");
+    const uint8_t address = static_cast<uint8_t>(address_in);
+
+    // optional arguments, use the same defaults as the hal get_device function
+    uint32_t bus_clock = 400000;
+    bool use_smbus = false;
+
+    if (args > 2) {
+        bus_clock = coerce_to_uint32_t(L, 3);
+
+        if (args > 3) {
+            use_smbus = static_cast<bool>(lua_toboolean(L, 4));
+        }
+    }
+
+    static_assert(SCRIPTING_MAX_NUM_I2C_DEVICE >= 0, "There cannot be a negative number of I2C devices");
+    if (AP::scripting()->num_i2c_devices >= SCRIPTING_MAX_NUM_I2C_DEVICE) {
+        return luaL_argerror(L, 1, "no i2c devices available");;
+    }
+
+    AP::scripting()->_i2c_dev[AP::scripting()->num_i2c_devices] = new AP_HAL::OwnPtr<AP_HAL::I2CDevice>;
+    if (AP::scripting()->_i2c_dev[AP::scripting()->num_i2c_devices] == nullptr) {
+        return luaL_argerror(L, 1, "i2c device nullptr");;
+    }
+
+    *AP::scripting()->_i2c_dev[AP::scripting()->num_i2c_devices] = std::move(hal.i2c_mgr->get_device(bus, address, bus_clock, use_smbus));
+
+    if (AP::scripting()->_i2c_dev[AP::scripting()->num_i2c_devices] == nullptr || AP::scripting()->_i2c_dev[AP::scripting()->num_i2c_devices]->get() == nullptr) {
+        return luaL_argerror(L, 1, "i2c device nullptr");;
+    }
+
+    new_AP_HAL__I2CDevice(L);
+    *check_AP_HAL__I2CDevice(L, -1) = AP::scripting()->_i2c_dev[AP::scripting()->num_i2c_devices]->get();
+
+    AP::scripting()->num_i2c_devices++;
+
+    return 1;
+}
+
+const luaL_Reg i2c_functions[] = {
+    {"get_device", lua_get_i2c_device},
+    {NULL, NULL}
+};
+
 void load_lua_bindings(lua_State *L) {
     lua_pushstring(L, "logger");
     luaL_newlib(L, AP_Logger_functions);
     lua_settable(L, -3);
 
+    lua_pushstring(L, "i2c");
+    luaL_newlib(L, i2c_functions);
+    lua_settable(L, -3);
+
     luaL_setfuncs(L, global_functions, 0);
 }