diff --git a/prog/detect/sensors-detect b/prog/detect/sensors-detect
index 669f33e5..dbf60131 100755
--- a/prog/detect/sensors-detect
+++ b/prog/detect/sensors-detect
@@ -2175,6 +2175,9 @@ sub initialize_conf
   }
 
   if (!($use_devfs || $use_udev)) {
+    if (! -c '/dev/i2c-0' && -x '/sbin/MAKEDEV') {
+      system("/sbin/MAKEDEV i2c");
+    }
     if (-c '/dev/i2c-0') {
       $dev_i2c = '/dev/i2c-';
     } else { # default