diff --git a/.github/workflows/cmake.yml b/.github/workflows/cmake.yml
index 502cff03..34cdbfe1 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/cmake.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/cmake.yml
@@ -106,6 +106,33 @@ jobs:
   #         echo REL=${{ needs.init.outputs.REL }}
   #         echo DATE=${{ needs.init.outputs.DATE }}
 
+  r-build:
+    needs: [init]
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v2
+
+      - uses: r-lib/actions/setup-r@v1
+        with:
+          use-public-rspm: true
+
+      - name: versioning
+        run: ./jenkins-dist.sh -v ${{ needs.init.outputs.VER }} -r ${{ needs.init.outputs.REL }} -d ${{ needs.init.outputs.DATE }}
+
+      - name: R
+        run: |
+          cd R
+          mkdir -p phreeqc/man
+          mkdir -p phreeqc/src/phreeqcpp
+          mkdir -p phreeqc/R
+          mkdir -p phreeqc/data
+          echo "# Generated by roxygen2: do not edit by hand" > phreeqc/NAMESPACE
+          make VERSION=${{ needs.init.outputs.VER }} RELEASE_DATE=${{ needs.init.outputs.DATE }} build
+
+      - uses: actions/upload-artifact@v2
+        with:
+          name: cran
+          path: ${{github.workspace}}/R/phreeqc_*.tar.gz
 
   distcheck:
     needs: [init, chm]