diff --git a/base/Dockerfile b/base/Dockerfile
index 80d0c36d8d518ad3ef2067435afae7eeab0bc2fd..1316d0e41dc4eacd1fe50e3d79f001ddb8bdb2af 100644
--- a/base/Dockerfile
+++ b/base/Dockerfile
@@ -95,6 +95,10 @@ RUN mkdir -p /opt/app-root/src/.ipython/profile_default/startup/ /opt/app-root/s
 # Preload clb_oauth
 RUN echo 'from clb_nb_utils import oauth as clb_oauth' >> /opt/app-root/src/.ipython/profile_default/startup/50-clb-nb-utils.py
 
+# install R kernel
+RUN R --slave -e "install.packages('IRkernel')"
+RUN R --slave -e "IRkernel::installspec(name = 'ir363', displayname = 'R 3.6.3')"
+
 # fix permissions so NB_USER has permissions to run notebooks and install packages
 COPY base/fix-permissions /usr/local/bin/fix-permissions
 RUN chmod +x /usr/local/bin/fix-permissions