diff --git a/drivers/Kconfig b/drivers/Kconfig
index 56536c4..64ba5bf 100644
--- a/drivers/Kconfig
+++ b/drivers/Kconfig
@@ -24,6 +24,8 @@ source "drivers/ddr/Kconfig"
 
 source "drivers/demo/Kconfig"
 
+source "drivers/board/Kconfig"
+
 source "drivers/ddr/fsl/Kconfig"
 
 source "drivers/dfu/Kconfig"
diff --git a/drivers/Makefile b/drivers/Makefile
index 23ea609..764f51d 100644
--- a/drivers/Makefile
+++ b/drivers/Makefile
@@ -71,6 +71,7 @@ obj-y += ata/
 obj-$(CONFIG_DM_DEMO) += demo/
 obj-$(CONFIG_BIOSEMU) += bios_emulator/
 obj-y += block/
+obj-y += board/
 obj-$(CONFIG_BOOTCOUNT_LIMIT) += bootcount/
 obj-$(CONFIG_CPU) += cpu/
 obj-y += crypto/
diff --git a/drivers/board/Kconfig b/drivers/board/Kconfig
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c9a52dc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/drivers/board/Kconfig
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+menuconfig BOARD
+	bool "Device Information"
+	help
+	  Support methods to query hardware configurations from internal
+	  mechanisms (e.g. reading GPIO values, determining the presence of
+	  devices on busses, etc.). This enables the usage of U-Boot with
+	  modular board architectures.
diff --git a/drivers/board/Makefile b/drivers/board/Makefile
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..12dd203
--- /dev/null
+++ b/drivers/board/Makefile
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+# SPDX-License-Identifier:	GPL-2.0+
+#
+# (C) Copyright 2017
+# Mario Six,  Guntermann & Drunck GmbH, mario.six@gdsys.cc
+obj-$(CONFIG_BOARD) += board-uclass.o
+obj-$(CONFIG_BOARD_GAZERBEAM) += gazerbeam.o
diff --git a/drivers/board/board-uclass.c b/drivers/board/board-uclass.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a516ba4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/drivers/board/board-uclass.c
@@ -0,0 +1,60 @@
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0+
+/*
+ * (C) Copyright 2017
+ * Mario Six,  Guntermann & Drunck GmbH, mario.six@gdsys.cc
+ */
+
+#include <common.h>
+#include <dm.h>
+#include <board.h>
+
+int board_get(struct udevice **devp)
+{
+	return uclass_first_device_err(UCLASS_BOARD, devp);
+}
+
+int board_detect(struct udevice *dev)
+{
+	struct board_ops *ops = board_get_ops(dev);
+
+	if (!ops->detect)
+		return -ENOSYS;
+
+	return ops->detect(dev);
+}
+
+int board_get_bool(struct udevice *dev, int id, bool *val)
+{
+	struct board_ops *ops = board_get_ops(dev);
+
+	if (!ops->get_bool)
+		return -ENOSYS;
+
+	return ops->get_bool(dev, id, val);
+}
+
+int board_get_int(struct udevice *dev, int id, int *val)
+{
+	struct board_ops *ops = board_get_ops(dev);
+
+	if (!ops->get_int)
+		return -ENOSYS;
+
+	return ops->get_int(dev, id, val);
+}
+
+int board_get_str(struct udevice *dev, int id, size_t size, char *val)
+{
+	struct board_ops *ops = board_get_ops(dev);
+
+	if (!ops->get_str)
+		return -ENOSYS;
+
+	return ops->get_str(dev, id, size, val);
+}
+
+UCLASS_DRIVER(board) = {
+	.id		= UCLASS_BOARD,
+	.name		= "board",
+	.post_bind	= dm_scan_fdt_dev,
+};
diff --git a/include/board.h b/include/board.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9dc7868
--- /dev/null
+++ b/include/board.h
@@ -0,0 +1,139 @@
+/* SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0+ */
+/*
+ * (C) Copyright 2017
+ * Mario Six,  Guntermann & Drunck GmbH, mario.six@gdsys.cc
+ */
+
+/*
+ * This uclass encapsulates hardware methods to gather information about a
+ * board or a specific device such as hard-wired GPIOs on GPIO expanders,
+ * read-only data in flash ICs, or similar.
+ *
+ * The interface offers functions to read the usual standard data types (bool,
+ * int, string) from the device, each of which is identified by a static
+ * numeric ID (which will usually be defined as a enum in a header file).
+ *
+ * If for example the board had a read-only serial number flash IC, we could
+ * call
+ *
+ * ret = board_detect(dev);
+ * if (ret) {
+ *	debug("board device not found.");
+ *	return ret;
+ * }
+ *
+ * ret = board_get_int(dev, ID_SERIAL_NUMBER, &serial);
+ * if (ret) {
+ *	debug("Error when reading serial number from device.");
+ *	return ret;
+ * }
+ *
+ * to read the serial number.
+ */
+
+struct board_ops {
+	/**
+	 * detect() - Run the hardware info detection procedure for this
+	 *	      device.
+	 * @dev:      The device containing the information
+	 *
+	 * This operation might take a long time (e.g. read from EEPROM,
+	 * check the presence of a device on a bus etc.), hence this is not
+	 * done in the probe() method, but later during operation in this
+	 * dedicated method.
+	 *
+	 * Return: 0 if OK, -ve on error.
+	 */
+	int (*detect)(struct udevice *dev);
+
+	/**
+	 * get_bool() - Read a specific bool data value that describes the
+	 *		hardware setup.
+	 * @dev:	The board instance to gather the data.
+	 * @id:		A unique identifier for the bool value to be read.
+	 * @val:	Pointer to a buffer that receives the value read.
+	 *
+	 * Return: 0 if OK, -ve on error.
+	 */
+	int (*get_bool)(struct udevice *dev, int id, bool *val);
+
+	/**
+	 * get_int() - Read a specific int data value that describes the
+	 *	       hardware setup.
+	 * @dev:       The board instance to gather the data.
+	 * @id:        A unique identifier for the int value to be read.
+	 * @val:       Pointer to a buffer that receives the value read.
+	 *
+	 * Return: 0 if OK, -ve on error.
+	 */
+	int (*get_int)(struct udevice *dev, int id, int *val);
+
+	/**
+	 * get_str() - Read a specific string data value that describes the
+	 *	       hardware setup.
+	 * @dev:	The board instance to gather the data.
+	 * @id:		A unique identifier for the string value to be read.
+	 * @size:	The size of the buffer to receive the string data.
+	 * @val:	Pointer to a buffer that receives the value read.
+	 *
+	 * Return: 0 if OK, -ve on error.
+	 */
+	int (*get_str)(struct udevice *dev, int id, size_t size, char *val);
+};
+
+#define board_get_ops(dev)	((struct board_ops *)(dev)->driver->ops)
+
+/**
+ * board_detect() - Run the hardware info detection procedure for this device.
+ *
+ * @dev:	The device containing the information
+ *
+ * Return: 0 if OK, -ve on error.
+ */
+int board_detect(struct udevice *dev);
+
+/**
+ * board_get_bool() - Read a specific bool data value that describes the
+ *		      hardware setup.
+ * @dev:	The board instance to gather the data.
+ * @id:		A unique identifier for the bool value to be read.
+ * @val:	Pointer to a buffer that receives the value read.
+ *
+ * Return: 0 if OK, -ve on error.
+ */
+int board_get_bool(struct udevice *dev, int id, bool *val);
+
+/**
+ * board_get_int() - Read a specific int data value that describes the
+ *		     hardware setup.
+ * @dev:	The board instance to gather the data.
+ * @id:		A unique identifier for the int value to be read.
+ * @val:	Pointer to a buffer that receives the value read.
+ *
+ * Return: 0 if OK, -ve on error.
+ */
+int board_get_int(struct udevice *dev, int id, int *val);
+
+/**
+ * board_get_str() - Read a specific string data value that describes the
+ *		     hardware setup.
+ * @dev:	The board instance to gather the data.
+ * @id:		A unique identifier for the string value to be read.
+ * @size:	The size of the buffer to receive the string data.
+ * @val:	Pointer to a buffer that receives the value read.
+ *
+ * Return: 0 if OK, -ve on error.
+ */
+int board_get_str(struct udevice *dev, int id, size_t size, char *val);
+
+/**
+ * board_get() - Return the board device for the board in question.
+ * @devp: Pointer to structure to receive the board device.
+ *
+ * Since there can only be at most one board instance, the API can supply a
+ * function that returns the unique device. This is especially useful for use
+ * in board files.
+ *
+ * Return: 0 if OK, -ve on error.
+ */
+int board_get(struct udevice **devp);
diff --git a/include/dm/uclass-id.h b/include/dm/uclass-id.h
index 7027ea0..5e19465 100644
--- a/include/dm/uclass-id.h
+++ b/include/dm/uclass-id.h
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ enum uclass_id {
 	UCLASS_ADC,		/* Analog-to-digital converter */
 	UCLASS_AHCI,		/* SATA disk controller */
 	UCLASS_BLK,		/* Block device */
+	UCLASS_BOARD,		/* Device information from hardware */
 	UCLASS_CLK,		/* Clock source, e.g. used by peripherals */
 	UCLASS_CPU,		/* CPU, typically part of an SoC */
 	UCLASS_CROS_EC,		/* Chrome OS EC */