diff --git a/resource-managers/kubernetes/docker/src/main/dockerfiles/spark/bindings/R/Dockerfile b/resource-managers/kubernetes/docker/src/main/dockerfiles/spark/bindings/R/Dockerfile
index 59f375b707ca7..bd645e40677d0 100644
--- a/resource-managers/kubernetes/docker/src/main/dockerfiles/spark/bindings/R/Dockerfile
+++ b/resource-managers/kubernetes/docker/src/main/dockerfiles/spark/bindings/R/Dockerfile
@@ -25,7 +25,14 @@ USER 0
 
 RUN mkdir ${SPARK_HOME}/R
 
-RUN apt-get update && apt install -y r-base r-base-dev && rm -rf /var/cache/apt/*
+# Install R 3.6.3 (http://cloud.r-project.org/bin/linux/debian/)
+RUN \
+  echo "deb http://cloud.r-project.org/bin/linux/debian buster-cran35/" >> /etc/apt/sources.list && \
+  apt install -y gnupg && \
+  apt-key adv --keyserver keys.gnupg.net --recv-key 'E19F5F87128899B192B1A2C2AD5F960A256A04AF' && \
+  apt-get update && \
+  apt install -y -t buster-cran35 r-base r-base-dev && \
+  rm -rf /var/cache/apt/*
 
 COPY R ${SPARK_HOME}/R
 ENV R_HOME /usr/lib/R