diff --git a/drivers/i2c/i2c-core.c b/drivers/i2c/i2c-core.c
index 5fb80b8962a2..98a5fd950f16 100644
--- a/drivers/i2c/i2c-core.c
+++ b/drivers/i2c/i2c-core.c
@@ -1941,6 +1941,13 @@ static int i2c_detect_address(struct i2c_client *temp_client,
 		struct i2c_client *client;
 
 		/* Detection succeeded, instantiate the device */
+		if (adapter->class & I2C_CLASS_DEPRECATED)
+			dev_warn(&adapter->dev,
+				"This adapter will soon drop class based instantiation of devices. "
+				"Please make sure client 0x%02x gets instantiated by other means. "
+				"Check 'Documentation/i2c/instantiating-devices' for details.\n",
+				info.addr);
+
 		dev_dbg(&adapter->dev, "Creating %s at 0x%02x\n",
 			info.type, info.addr);
 		client = i2c_new_device(adapter, &info);
diff --git a/include/linux/i2c.h b/include/linux/i2c.h
index deddeb8c337c..b556e0ab946f 100644
--- a/include/linux/i2c.h
+++ b/include/linux/i2c.h
@@ -487,6 +487,7 @@ void i2c_unlock_adapter(struct i2c_adapter *);
 #define I2C_CLASS_HWMON		(1<<0)	/* lm_sensors, ... */
 #define I2C_CLASS_DDC		(1<<3)	/* DDC bus on graphics adapters */
 #define I2C_CLASS_SPD		(1<<7)	/* Memory modules */
+#define I2C_CLASS_DEPRECATED	(1<<8)	/* Warn users that adapter will stop using classes */
 
 /* Internal numbers to terminate lists */
 #define I2C_CLIENT_END		0xfffeU