diff --git a/src/targets/r/httr/client.ts b/src/targets/r/httr/client.ts
index c8c2f2061..85a1d3201 100644
--- a/src/targets/r/httr/client.ts
+++ b/src/targets/r/httr/client.ts
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ export const httr: Client = {
 
     if (entriesCount === 1) {
       const entry = entries[0];
-      push(`queryString <- list(${entry[0]} = "${entry[1]}")`);
+      push(`queryString <- list(\`${entry[0]}\` = "${entry[1]}")`);
       blank();
     } else if (entriesCount > 1) {
       push('queryString <- list(');
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ export const httr: Client = {
       entries.forEach(([key, value], i) => {
         const isLastItem = i !== entriesCount - 1;
         const maybeComma = isLastItem ? ',' : '';
-        push(`${key} = "${value}"${maybeComma}`, 1);
+        push(`\`${key}\` = "${value}"${maybeComma}`, 1);
       });
 
       push(')');
diff --git a/src/targets/r/httr/fixtures/full.r b/src/targets/r/httr/fixtures/full.r
index 5152904ff..9a4e5f5fb 100644
--- a/src/targets/r/httr/fixtures/full.r
+++ b/src/targets/r/httr/fixtures/full.r
@@ -3,8 +3,8 @@ library(httr)
 url <- "http://mockbin.com/har"
 
 queryString <- list(
-  foo = "bar,baz",
-  baz = "abc"
+  `foo` = "bar,baz",
+  `baz` = "abc"
 )
 
 payload <- "foo=bar"
diff --git a/src/targets/r/httr/fixtures/nested.r b/src/targets/r/httr/fixtures/nested.r
index 78d21ecce..e090c657a 100644
--- a/src/targets/r/httr/fixtures/nested.r
+++ b/src/targets/r/httr/fixtures/nested.r
@@ -3,8 +3,8 @@ library(httr)
 url <- "http://mockbin.com/har"
 
 queryString <- list(
-  foo[bar] = "baz,zap",
-  fiz = "buz"
+  `foo[bar]` = "baz,zap",
+  `fiz` = "buz"
 )
 
 response <- VERB("GET", url, query = queryString, content_type("application/octet-stream"))
diff --git a/src/targets/r/httr/fixtures/query-two-params.r b/src/targets/r/httr/fixtures/query-two-params.r
index 3b81f476f..a71586c83 100644
--- a/src/targets/r/httr/fixtures/query-two-params.r
+++ b/src/targets/r/httr/fixtures/query-two-params.r
@@ -3,8 +3,8 @@ library(httr)
 url <- "http://mockbin.com/har"
 
 queryString <- list(
-  perPage = "100",
-  page = "1"
+  `perPage` = "100",
+  `page` = "1"
 )
 
 response <- VERB("GET", url, query = queryString, content_type("application/octet-stream"))
diff --git a/src/targets/r/httr/fixtures/query.r b/src/targets/r/httr/fixtures/query.r
index ea7270150..fe1221c3e 100644
--- a/src/targets/r/httr/fixtures/query.r
+++ b/src/targets/r/httr/fixtures/query.r
@@ -3,8 +3,8 @@ library(httr)
 url <- "http://mockbin.com/har"
 
 queryString <- list(
-  foo = "bar,baz",
-  baz = "abc"
+  `foo` = "bar,baz",
+  `baz` = "abc"
 )
 
 response <- VERB("GET", url, query = queryString, content_type("application/octet-stream"))