diff --git a/Changelog.md b/Changelog.md
index 8d3aa6af..75658e65 100644
--- a/Changelog.md
+++ b/Changelog.md
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ All notable changes to this project will be documented here.
 
 ## [unreleased]
 - Update python, pyta and jupyter testers to allow a requirements file (#580)
+- Update R tester to allow a renv.lock file (#581)
 
 ## [v2.6.0]
 - Update python versions in docker file (#568)
diff --git a/server/autotest_server/testers/r/lib/r_renv_setup.R b/server/autotest_server/testers/r/lib/r_renv_setup.R
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a9fe9fe8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/server/autotest_server/testers/r/lib/r_renv_setup.R
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+# Script to install dependencies for R tester environment using a renv.lock file. 
+
+# Install renv if not already installed
+if (!("renv" %in% rownames(installed.packages()))) {
+  install.packages("renv")
+}
+library(renv)
+
+# Set the path for the renv.lock file and the env_dir directory
+lockfile <- commandArgs(trailingOnly = TRUE)[1]
+env_dir <- commandArgs(trailingOnly = TRUE)[2]
+
+if (!file.exists(lockfile)) {
+  stop("renv.lock file not found: ", lockfile)
+}
+
+# Initialize the renv environment and restore dependencies from the lockfile
+renv::restore(lockfile = lockfile, library = env_dir)
diff --git a/server/autotest_server/testers/r/settings_schema.json b/server/autotest_server/testers/r/settings_schema.json
index a1810d60..9b9d786d 100644
--- a/server/autotest_server/testers/r/settings_schema.json
+++ b/server/autotest_server/testers/r/settings_schema.json
@@ -14,6 +14,11 @@
       "title": "R environment",
       "type": "object",
       "properties": {
+        "renv.lock": {
+          "title": "Use renv to set up environment",
+          "type": "boolean",
+          "default": false
+        },
         "requirements": {
           "title": "Package requirements",
           "type": "string"
diff --git a/server/autotest_server/testers/r/setup.py b/server/autotest_server/testers/r/setup.py
index 16ff1326..6d418582 100644
--- a/server/autotest_server/testers/r/setup.py
+++ b/server/autotest_server/testers/r/setup.py
@@ -5,10 +5,11 @@
 
 def create_environment(settings_, env_dir, default_env_dir):
     env_data = settings_.get("env_data", {})
-    req_string = env_data.get("requirements", "")
+    lockfile_submitted = env_data.get("renv.lock", False)
     os.makedirs(env_dir, exist_ok=True)
     env = {"R_LIBS_SITE": env_dir, "R_LIBS_USER": env_dir}
 
+    req_string = env_data.get("requirements", "")
     r_tester_setup = os.path.join(os.path.dirname(os.path.realpath(__file__)), "lib", "r_tester_setup.R")
     subprocess.run(
         ["Rscript", r_tester_setup, req_string],
@@ -18,6 +19,17 @@ def create_environment(settings_, env_dir, default_env_dir):
         capture_output=True,
     )
 
+    if lockfile_submitted:
+        renv_lock_path = os.path.join(env_dir, "../", "files", "renv.lock")
+        r_renv_setup = os.path.join(os.path.dirname(os.path.realpath(__file__)), "lib", "r_renv_setup.R")
+        if os.path.exists(renv_lock_path):
+            subprocess.run(
+                ["Rscript", r_renv_setup, renv_lock_path, env_dir],
+                env={**os.environ, **env},
+                check=True,
+                text=True,
+                capture_output=True,
+            )
     return {**env, "PYTHON": os.path.join(default_env_dir, "bin", "python3")}