diff --git a/src/drivers/bus/i2c/Makefile.inc b/src/drivers/bus/i2c/Makefile.inc
index 4090a9c..a3ca6a7 100644
--- a/src/drivers/bus/i2c/Makefile.inc
+++ b/src/drivers/bus/i2c/Makefile.inc
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 ## Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin St, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA  02110-1301 USA
 ##
 
+depthcharge-y += i2c.c
 depthcharge-$(CONFIG_DRIVER_BUS_I2C_S3C24X0) += s3c24x0.c
 depthcharge-$(CONFIG_DRIVER_BUS_I2C_EXYNOS5_USI) += exynos5_usi.c
 depthcharge-$(CONFIG_DRIVER_BUS_I2C_TEGRA) += tegra.c
diff --git a/src/drivers/bus/i2c/i2c.c b/src/drivers/bus/i2c/i2c.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..eac5832
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/drivers/bus/i2c/i2c.c
@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2014 Google Inc.  All rights reserved.
+ *
+ * This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
+ * it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+ * the Free Software Foundation; version 2 of the License.
+ *
+ * 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, write to the Free Software
+ * Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin St, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA, 02110-1301 USA
+ */
+
+#include <libpayload.h>
+#include "drivers/bus/i2c/i2c.h"
+
+int i2c_readb(I2cOps *ops, uint8_t chip, uint8_t reg, uint8_t *data)
+{
+	struct I2cSeg seg[2];
+
+	seg[0].read = 0;
+	seg[0].chip = chip;
+	seg[0].buf = &reg;
+	seg[0].len = 1;
+	seg[1].read = 1;
+	seg[1].chip = chip;
+	seg[1].buf = data;
+	seg[1].len = 1;
+
+	return ops->transfer(ops, seg, ARRAY_SIZE(seg));
+}
+
+int i2c_writeb(I2cOps *ops, uint8_t chip, uint8_t reg, uint8_t data)
+{
+	struct I2cSeg seg;
+	uint8_t buf[] = {reg, data};
+
+	seg.read = 0;
+	seg.chip = chip;
+	seg.buf = buf;
+	seg.len = ARRAY_SIZE(buf);
+
+	return ops->transfer(ops, &seg, 1);
+}
diff --git a/src/drivers/bus/i2c/i2c.h b/src/drivers/bus/i2c/i2c.h
index a47773d..10c3be5 100644
--- a/src/drivers/bus/i2c/i2c.h
+++ b/src/drivers/bus/i2c/i2c.h
@@ -20,14 +20,49 @@
 
 #include <stdint.h>
 
+/*
+ * transfer operation consumes I2cSeg struct one by one and finishes a
+ * transaction by a stop bit at the end.
+ *
+ *   frame = [segment] ... [segment][stop]
+ *   segment = [start][slave addr][r/w][ack][data][ack][data][ack] ...
+ *
+ * Two adjacent segments are connected by a repeated start bit.
+ */
+typedef struct I2cSeg
+{
+	int read;	// 0:write 1:read
+	uint8_t chip;	// slave address
+	uint8_t *buf;	// buffer for read or write
+	int len;	// buffer size
+} I2cSeg;
+
 typedef struct I2cOps
 {
+	/*
+	 * read and write will be deprecated. New i2c drivers should implement
+	 * transfer and new slave drivers should use transfer (or utility funcs
+	 * in i2c.c).
+	 */
 	int (*read)(struct I2cOps *me, uint8_t chip,
-		    uint32_t addr, int addr_len,
-		    uint8_t *data, int data_len);
+		    uint32_t addr, int addr_len, uint8_t *data, int data_len);
 	int (*write)(struct I2cOps *me, uint8_t chip,
-		     uint32_t addr, int addr_len,
-		     uint8_t *data, int data_len);
+		     uint32_t addr, int addr_len, uint8_t *data, int data_len);
+	int (*transfer)(struct I2cOps *me, I2cSeg *segments, int seg_count);
 } I2cOps;
 
+/**
+ * Read a byte by two segments in one frame
+ *
+ * [start][slave addr][w][register addr][start][slave addr][r][data][stop]
+ */
+int i2c_readb(I2cOps *ops, uint8_t chip, uint8_t reg, uint8_t *data);
+
+/**
+ * Write a byte by one segment in one frame.
+ *
+ * [start][slave addr][w][register addr][data][stop]
+ */
+int i2c_writeb(I2cOps *ops, uint8_t chip, uint8_t reg, uint8_t data);
+
 #endif /* __DRIVERS_BUS_I2C_I2C_H__ */
diff --git a/src/drivers/bus/i2c/tegra.c b/src/drivers/bus/i2c/tegra.c
index dd01fbc..e0e999e 100644
--- a/src/drivers/bus/i2c/tegra.c
+++ b/src/drivers/bus/i2c/tegra.c
@@ -116,41 +116,46 @@
 				   data, data_len);
 }
 
-static int i2c_readwrite(TegraI2c *bus, uint8_t chip, uint32_t addr,
-			 int alen, uint8_t *buf, int len, int read)
+static int i2c_transfer_segment(TegraI2c *bus, uint8_t chip,
+				int restart, int read, void *buf, int len)
 {
 	const uint32_t max_payload =
 		(IOHEADER_PAYLOADSIZE_MASK + 1) >> IOHEADER_PAYLOADSIZE_SHIFT;
-	uint8_t abuf[sizeof(addr)];
-
-	int i;
-	for (i = 0; i < alen; i++)
-		abuf[i] = addr >> ((alen - i - 1) * 8);
-
-	if (tegra_i2c_request(bus, chip, !read, 0, 0, abuf, alen))
-		return -1;
-
 	while (len) {
 		int todo = MIN(len, max_payload);
 		int cont = (todo < len);
-		if (tegra_i2c_request(bus, chip, cont, 0, read, buf, todo)) {
+		if (tegra_i2c_request(bus, chip,
+				      cont, restart, read, buf, todo))
 			// We should reset the controller here.
 			return -1;
-		}
 		len -= todo;
 		buf += todo;
 	}
 	return 0;
 }
 
-void i2c_init(TegraI2c *bus)
+static int i2c_readwrite(TegraI2c *bus, uint8_t chip, uint32_t addr,
+			 int alen, uint8_t *buf, int len, int read)
+{
+	uint8_t abuf[sizeof(addr)];
+
+	for (int i = 0; i < alen; i++)
+		abuf[i] = addr >> ((alen - i - 1) * 8);
+
+	if (tegra_i2c_request(bus, chip, !read, 0, 0, abuf, alen))
+		return -1;
+
+	return i2c_transfer_segment(bus, chip, 0, read, buf, len);
+}
+
+static void i2c_init(TegraI2c *bus)
 {
 	TegraI2cRegs *regs = bus->regs;
 	writel(I2C_CNFG_PACKET_MODE_EN, &regs->cnfg);
 	bus->initialized = 1;
 }
 
-int i2c_read(I2cOps *me, uint8_t chip, uint32_t addr,
+static int i2c_read(I2cOps *me, uint8_t chip, uint32_t addr,
 	     int addr_len, uint8_t *data, int data_len)
 {
 	TegraI2c *bus = container_of(me, TegraI2c, ops);
@@ -159,7 +164,7 @@
 	return i2c_readwrite(bus, chip, addr, addr_len, data, data_len, 1);
 }
 
-int i2c_write(I2cOps *me, uint8_t chip, uint32_t addr,
+static int i2c_write(I2cOps *me, uint8_t chip, uint32_t addr,
 	      int addr_len, uint8_t *data, int data_len)
 {
 	TegraI2c *bus = container_of(me, TegraI2c, ops);
@@ -168,11 +173,28 @@
 	return i2c_readwrite(bus, chip, addr, addr_len, data, data_len, 0);
 }
 
+static int i2c_transfer(I2cOps *me, I2cSeg *segments, int seg_count)
+{
+	I2cSeg *seg = segments;
+	TegraI2c *bus = container_of(me, TegraI2c, ops);
+
+	if (!bus->initialized)
+		i2c_init(bus);
+
+	for (int i = 0; i < seg_count; seg++, i++) {
+		if (i2c_transfer_segment(bus, seg->chip, i < seg_count - 1,
+				       seg->read, seg->buf, seg->len))
+			return -1;
+	}
+	return 0;
+}
+
 TegraI2c *new_tegra_i2c(void *regs, int controller_id)
 {
 	TegraI2c *bus = xzalloc(sizeof(*bus));
 	bus->ops.read = i2c_read;
 	bus->ops.write = i2c_write;
+	bus->ops.transfer = i2c_transfer;
 	bus->regs = regs;
 	bus->controller_id = controller_id;
 	return bus;
diff --git a/src/drivers/sound/max98090.c b/src/drivers/sound/max98090.c
index 9a07b92..de80dfc 100644
--- a/src/drivers/sound/max98090.c
+++ b/src/drivers/sound/max98090.c
@@ -16,12 +16,20 @@
 
 static int max98090_i2c_write(Max98090Codec *codec, uint8_t reg, uint8_t data)
 {
-	return codec->i2c->write(codec->i2c, codec->chip, reg, 1, &data, 1);
+	if (codec->i2c->transfer)
+		return i2c_writeb(codec->i2c, codec->chip, reg, data);
+	else
+		return codec->i2c->write(codec->i2c, codec->chip, reg, 1,
+					 &data, 1);
 }
 
 static int max98090_i2c_read(Max98090Codec *codec, uint8_t reg, uint8_t *data)
 {
-	return codec->i2c->read(codec->i2c, codec->chip, reg, 1, data, 1);
+	if (codec->i2c->transfer)
+		return i2c_readb(codec->i2c, codec->chip, reg, data);
+	else
+		return codec->i2c->read(codec->i2c, codec->chip, reg, 1,
+					data, 1);
 }
 
 static int max98090_update_bits(Max98090Codec *codec, uint8_t reg,