diff --git a/include/libcamera/internal/camera_sensor.h b/include/libcamera/internal/camera_sensor.h
index 06c8292ca30129de..e0d2d9f63b47c2fe 100644
--- a/include/libcamera/internal/camera_sensor.h
+++ b/include/libcamera/internal/camera_sensor.h
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@ public:
 	int init();
 
 	const std::string &model() const { return model_; }
+	const std::string &id() const { return id_; }
 	const MediaEntity *entity() const { return entity_; }
 	const std::vector<unsigned int> &mbusCodes() const { return mbusCodes_; }
 	const std::vector<Size> &sizes() const { return sizes_; }
@@ -67,11 +68,14 @@ protected:
 	std::string logPrefix() const override;
 
 private:
+	int generateID();
+
 	const MediaEntity *entity_;
 	std::unique_ptr<V4L2Subdevice> subdev_;
 	unsigned int pad_;
 
 	std::string model_;
+	std::string id_;
 
 	V4L2Subdevice::Formats formats_;
 	Size resolution_;
diff --git a/src/libcamera/camera_sensor.cpp b/src/libcamera/camera_sensor.cpp
index 350f49accad99c7b..6dc616945dad5ef1 100644
--- a/src/libcamera/camera_sensor.cpp
+++ b/src/libcamera/camera_sensor.cpp
@@ -9,10 +9,12 @@
 
 #include <algorithm>
 #include <float.h>
+#include <fstream>
 #include <iomanip>
 #include <limits.h>
 #include <math.h>
 #include <regex>
+#include <sys/stat.h>
 
 #include <libcamera/property_ids.h>
 
@@ -204,6 +206,11 @@ int CameraSensor::init()
 	if (ret < 0)
 		return ret;
 
+	/* Generate a unique ID for the sensor. */
+	ret = generateID();
+	if (ret)
+		return ret;
+
 	/* Retrieve and store the camera sensor properties. */
 	const ControlInfoMap &controls = subdev_->controls();
 	int32_t propertyValue;
@@ -283,6 +290,26 @@ int CameraSensor::init()
  * \return The sensor model name
  */
 
+/**
+ * \fn CameraSensor::id()
+ * \brief Retrieve the sensor ID
+ *
+ * The sensor ID is a free-formed string that uniquely identifies the sensor in
+ * the system. The ID is persistent between different instances of libcamera and
+ * between resets of the system.
+ *
+ * For OF based systems the ID is the full path of the sensors in the device
+ * tree description. For ACPI based systems the ID is the ACPI firmware nodes
+ * path. Both ID sources are guaranteed to be unique and persistent as long as
+ * the firmware of the system is not changed.
+ *
+ * A special case is needed to deal with the VIMC pipeline that implements a
+ * virtual pipeline that is not backed by any hardware device and is therefore
+ * not described in the device firmware.
+ *
+ * \return The sensor ID
+ */
+
 /**
  * \fn CameraSensor::entity()
  * \brief Retrieve the sensor media entity
@@ -541,4 +568,71 @@ std::string CameraSensor::logPrefix() const
 	return "'" + entity_->name() + "'";
 }
 
+int CameraSensor::generateID()
+{
+	std::string path, devPath = subdev_->devicePath();
+	struct stat statbuf;
+
+	/* Try to generate ID from OF device tree path.  */
+	path = devPath + "/of_node";
+	if (stat(path.c_str(), &statbuf) == 0) {
+		char ofPath[PATH_MAX];
+
+		if (!realpath(path.c_str(), ofPath)) {
+			LOG(CameraSensor, Error) << "Failed to read sensor OF based ID";
+			return -EINVAL;
+		}
+
+		id_ = ofPath;
+		const std::string dropStr = "/sys/firmware/devicetree/";
+		if (id_.find(dropStr) == 0)
+			id_.erase(0, dropStr.length());
+
+		return 0;
+	}
+
+	/* Try to generate ID from ACPI path. */
+	path = devPath + "/firmware_node/path";
+	if (stat(path.c_str(), &statbuf) == 0) {
+		std::ifstream file(path.c_str());
+
+		if (!file.is_open()) {
+			LOG(CameraSensor, Error) << "Failed to read sensor ACPI based ID";
+			return -EINVAL;
+		}
+
+		std::getline(file, id_);
+		file.close();
+
+		return 0;
+	}
+
+	/*
+	 * VIMC is a virtual video pipeline not backed hardware and has no OF
+	 * or ACPI firmware nodes. Handle this pipeline as a special case and
+	 * generate IDs based on the sensor model.
+	 */
+	path = devPath + "/modalias";
+	if (stat(path.c_str(), &statbuf) == 0) {
+		std::ifstream file(path.c_str());
+
+		if (!file.is_open()) {
+			LOG(CameraSensor, Error) << "Failed to read sensor ACPI based ID";
+			return -EINVAL;
+		}
+
+		std::string modalias;
+		std::getline(file, modalias);
+		file.close();
+
+		if (modalias == "platform:vimc") {
+			id_ = "VIMC " + model();
+			return 0;
+		}
+	}
+
+	LOG(CameraSensor, Error) << "Unknown sensor device type, can not generate ID";
+	return -EINVAL;
+}
+
 } /* namespace libcamera */