diff --git a/r/adbcdrivermanager/src/Makevars b/r/adbcdrivermanager/src/Makevars
index 5ccd1e4efb..ffcee27b8b 100644
--- a/r/adbcdrivermanager/src/Makevars
+++ b/r/adbcdrivermanager/src/Makevars
@@ -15,4 +15,5 @@
 # specific language governing permissions and limitations
 # under the License.
 
+CXX_STD = CXX17
 PKG_CPPFLAGS=-I../src -DADBC_EXPORT=""
diff --git a/r/adbcpostgresql/src/Makevars.ucrt b/r/adbcpostgresql/src/Makevars.ucrt
index 55f722832c..857c45b776 100644
--- a/r/adbcpostgresql/src/Makevars.ucrt
+++ b/r/adbcpostgresql/src/Makevars.ucrt
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 # specific language governing permissions and limitations
 # under the License.
 
+CXX_STD = CXX17
 PKG_CPPFLAGS = -I../src -I../src/c/ -I../src/c/vendor/ -I../src/c/vendor/fmt/include/ -DADBC_EXPORT="" -D__USE_MINGW_ANSI_STDIO -DFMT_HEADER_ONLY=1
 
 PKG_LIBS = -lpq -lpgcommon -lpgport -lssl -lcrypto -lz -lsecur32 -lws2_32 -lwldap32 -lcrypt32
diff --git a/r/adbcsqlite/src/Makevars.in b/r/adbcsqlite/src/Makevars.in
index bd1e4419a1..67ec63752c 100644
--- a/r/adbcsqlite/src/Makevars.in
+++ b/r/adbcsqlite/src/Makevars.in
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
 # specific language governing permissions and limitations
 # under the License.
 
-CXXSTD = CXX17
+CXX_STD = CXX17
 PKG_CPPFLAGS=-I../src/ -I../src/c/ -I../src/c/vendor/ -I../src/c/vendor/fmt/include/ @cppflags@ -DADBC_EXPORT="" -DFMT_HEADER_ONLY=1 -D_LIBCPP_DISABLE_AVAILABILITY
 PKG_LIBS=@libs@