diff --git a/src/am2315/am2315.cpp b/src/am2315/am2315.cpp
index 3ff165ba..74587757 100644
--- a/src/am2315/am2315.cpp
+++ b/src/am2315/am2315.cpp
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@
 #include <time.h>
 
 #include "am2315.hpp"
+#include "upm_string_parser.hpp"
 
 using namespace upm;
 
@@ -47,7 +48,7 @@ AM2315::AM2315(int bus, int devAddr) {
 
     m_base_priority = sched_getscheduler(0);
 
-    if ( !(m_i2ControlCtx = mraa_i2c_init(m_bus)) ) 
+    if ( !(m_i2ControlCtx = mraa_i2c_init(m_bus)) )
       {
         throw std::invalid_argument(std::string(__FUNCTION__) +
                                     ": mraa_i2c_init() failed");
@@ -68,6 +69,52 @@ AM2315::AM2315(int bus, int devAddr) {
             m_name, m_model, m_version, m_id );
 }
 
+AM2315::AM2315(std::string initStr) : mraaIo(initStr)
+{
+    m_temperature = 0;
+    m_humidity    = 0;
+    m_last_time = 0;
+
+    m_name = g_name;
+
+    m_base_priority = sched_getscheduler(0);
+
+    mraa_io_descriptor* descs = mraaIo.getMraaDescriptors();
+
+    if(!descs->i2cs)
+    {
+        throw std::invalid_argument(std::string(__FUNCTION__) +
+                                    ": mraa_i2c_init() failed");
+    }
+    else
+    {
+        if( !(m_i2ControlCtx = descs->i2cs[0]) )
+        {
+            throw std::invalid_argument(std::string(__FUNCTION__) +
+                                ": mraa_i2c_init() failed");
+        }
+    }
+    m_model = i2cReadReg_16(AM2315_MODEL);
+    m_version = i2cReadReg_8(AM2315_VERSION);
+    m_id = i2cReadReg_32(AM2315_ID);
+
+    fprintf(stdout,"%s: Model: 0x%04x Version: 0x%02x ID: 0x%08x\n",
+            m_name, m_model, m_version, m_id );
+
+    std::vector<std::string> upmTokens;
+
+    if(!mraaIo.getLeftoverStr().empty())
+    {
+        upmTokens = UpmStringParser::parse(mraaIo.getLeftoverStr());
+    }
+
+    for (std::string tok : upmTokens) {
+      if(tok.substr(0,13) == "updateValues:") {
+          update_values();
+      }
+    }
+}
+
 AM2315::~AM2315() {
     mraa_i2c_stop(m_i2ControlCtx);
 }
diff --git a/src/am2315/am2315.hpp b/src/am2315/am2315.hpp
index 75ad96cf..9b7ed48a 100644
--- a/src/am2315/am2315.hpp
+++ b/src/am2315/am2315.hpp
@@ -25,8 +25,10 @@
 
 #include <string>
 #include <mraa/i2c.h>
+#include <mraa/initio.hpp>
 #include <math.h>
 
+
 #define AM2315_NAME "am2315"
 #define AM2315_I2C_ADDRESS 0x5c
 
@@ -87,6 +89,13 @@ class AM2315 {
          */
         AM2315 (int bus, int devAddr=AM2315_I2C_ADDRESS);
 
+        /**
+         * Instantiates AM2315 Temperature & Humidity Sensor based on a given string.
+         *
+         * @param initStr string containing specific information for AM2315 initialization.
+         */
+        AM2315 (std::string initStr);
+
         /**
          * AM2315 object destructor; basically, it closes the I2C connection.
          */
@@ -180,6 +189,7 @@ class AM2315 {
         int m_controlAddr;
         int m_bus;
         mraa_i2c_context m_i2ControlCtx;
+        mraa::MraaIo mraaIo;
 
         void update_values(void);
         uint8_t i2cReadReg(int reg, uint8_t* data, int ilen);