diff --git a/r/R/record-batch-writer.R b/r/R/record-batch-writer.R
index 6f43c52d96a..a1cfd8a0040 100644
--- a/r/R/record-batch-writer.R
+++ b/r/R/record-batch-writer.R
@@ -58,12 +58,11 @@ RecordBatchWriter <- R6Class("RecordBatchWriter", inherit = Object,
     write_table = function(table) ipc___RecordBatchWriter__WriteTable(self, table),
 
     write = function(x) {
+      x <- to_arrow(x)
       if (inherits(x, "RecordBatch")) {
         self$write_batch(x)
       } else if (inherits(x, "Table")) {
         self$write_table(x)
-      } else if (inherits(x, "data.frame")) {
-        self$write_table(table(x))
       } else {
         abort("unexpected type for RecordBatchWriter$write(), must be an arrow::RecordBatch or an arrow::Table")
       }
diff --git a/r/tests/testthat/test-record-batch-reader.R b/r/tests/testthat/test-record-batch-reader.R
index b557f0669ac..2851538010b 100644
--- a/r/tests/testthat/test-record-batch-reader.R
+++ b/r/tests/testthat/test-record-batch-reader.R
@@ -18,16 +18,20 @@
 context("RecordBatch.*(Reader|Writer)")
 
 test_that("RecordBatchStreamReader / Writer", {
-  batch <- record_batch(
+  tbl <- tibble::tibble(
     x = 1:10,
     y = letters[1:10]
   )
+  batch <- record_batch(tbl)
+  tab <- Table$create(tbl)
 
   sink <- BufferOutputStream$create()
   expect_equal(sink$tell(), 0)
   writer <- RecordBatchStreamWriter$create(sink, batch$schema)
   expect_is(writer, "RecordBatchStreamWriter")
-  writer$write_batch(batch)
+  writer$write(batch)
+  writer$write(tab)
+  writer$write(tbl)
   expect_true(sink$tell() > 0)
   writer$close()
 
@@ -40,20 +44,22 @@ test_that("RecordBatchStreamReader / Writer", {
   batch1 <- reader$read_next_batch()
   expect_is(batch1, "RecordBatch")
   expect_equal(batch, batch1)
-
+  batch2 <- reader$read_next_batch()
+  expect_is(batch2, "RecordBatch")
+  expect_equal(batch, batch2)
+  batch3 <- reader$read_next_batch()
+  expect_is(batch3, "RecordBatch")
+  expect_equal(batch, batch3)
   expect_null(reader$read_next_batch())
 })
 
 test_that("RecordBatchFileReader / Writer", {
-  batch <- record_batch(
-    x = 1:10,
-    y = letters[1:10]
-  )
-
   sink <- BufferOutputStream$create()
   writer <- RecordBatchFileWriter$create(sink, batch$schema)
   expect_is(writer, "RecordBatchFileWriter")
-  writer$write_batch(batch)
+  writer$write(batch)
+  writer$write(tab)
+  writer$write(tbl)
   writer$close()
 
   buf <- sink$getvalue()
@@ -66,5 +72,5 @@ test_that("RecordBatchFileReader / Writer", {
   expect_is(batch1, "RecordBatch")
   expect_equal(batch, batch1)
 
-  expect_equal(reader$num_record_batches, 1)
+  expect_equal(reader$num_record_batches, 3)
 })