diff --git a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/R/package.py b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/R/package.py
index 11c5909efaff44cc363f285dbdec09c45a5f406c..ad06c2ca48feff65f74773331536f2a4e5576504 100644
--- a/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/R/package.py
+++ b/var/spack/repos/builtin/packages/R/package.py
@@ -136,6 +136,14 @@ def setup_dependent_environment(self, spack_env, run_env, extension_spec):
             run_env.prepend_path('R_LIBS', os.path.join(
                 extension_spec.prefix, self.r_lib_dir))
 
+    def setup_environment(self, spack_env, run_env):
+        run_env.prepend_path('LIBRARY_PATH',
+                             join_path(self.prefix, 'rlib', 'R', 'lib'))
+        run_env.prepend_path('LD_LIBRARY_PATH',
+                             join_path(self.prefix, 'rlib', 'R', 'lib'))
+        run_env.prepend_path('CPATH',
+                             join_path(self.prefix, 'rlib', 'R', 'include'))
+
     def setup_dependent_package(self, module, ext_spec):
         """Called before R modules' install() methods. In most cases,
         extensions will only need to have one line: