diff --git a/drivers/i2c/busses/i2c-qcom-geni.c b/drivers/i2c/busses/i2c-qcom-geni.c
index ccea575fb783..97be9e468c75 100644
--- a/drivers/i2c/busses/i2c-qcom-geni.c
+++ b/drivers/i2c/busses/i2c-qcom-geni.c
@@ -870,7 +870,13 @@ static int geni_i2c_probe(struct platform_device *pdev)
 		goto err_clk;
 	}
 	proto = geni_se_read_proto(&gi2c->se);
-	if (proto != GENI_SE_I2C) {
+	if (proto == GENI_SE_INVALID_PROTO) {
+		ret = geni_load_se_firmware(&gi2c->se, GENI_SE_I2C);
+		if (ret) {
+			dev_err_probe(dev, ret, "i2c firmware load failed ret: %d\n", ret);
+			goto err_resources;
+		}
+	} else if (proto != GENI_SE_I2C) {
 		ret = dev_err_probe(dev, -ENXIO, "Invalid proto %d\n", proto);
 		goto err_resources;
 	}