diff --git a/inst/include/cpp11/complexes.hpp b/inst/include/cpp11/complexes.hpp
index 5ca3585c..2fa41410 100644
--- a/inst/include/cpp11/complexes.hpp
+++ b/inst/include/cpp11/complexes.hpp
@@ -61,9 +61,9 @@ typedef r_vector<r_complex> complexes;
 namespace writable {
 
 template <>
-inline void r_vector<r_complex>::set_elt(
-    SEXP x, R_xlen_t i, typename r_vector<r_complex>::underlying_type value) {
-  SET_COMPLEX_ELT(x, i, static_cast<Rcomplex>(value));
+inline void r_vector<r_complex>::set_elt(SEXP x, R_xlen_t i,
+                                         r_vector::underlying_type value) {
+  COMPLEX(x)[i] = static_cast<Rcomplex>(value);
 }
 
 typedef r_vector<r_complex> complexes;
@@ -98,8 +98,11 @@ class r_vector<r_complex>::proxy {
   proxy(SEXP data, R_xlen_t index)
       : data_(data), index_(index), buf_(nullptr), is_altrep_(false) {}
 
-  proxy(SEXP data, R_xlen_t index, Rcomplex* buf, bool is_altrep)
-      : data_(data), index_(index), buf_(buf), is_altrep_(is_altrep) {}
+  proxy(SEXP data, R_xlen_t index, r_complex* buf, bool is_altrep)
+      : data_(data),
+        index_(index),
+        buf_(reinterpret_cast<Rcomplex*>(buf)),
+        is_altrep_(is_altrep) {}
 
   operator r_complex() const {
     if (is_altrep_ && buf_ != nullptr) {
diff --git a/inst/include/cpp11/r_complex.hpp b/inst/include/cpp11/r_complex.hpp
index 5b2c76ad..19bcbc98 100644
--- a/inst/include/cpp11/r_complex.hpp
+++ b/inst/include/cpp11/r_complex.hpp
@@ -43,12 +43,10 @@ inline void writable::r_vector<r_complex>::push_back(r_complex value) {
     this->reserve(this->capacity_ == 0 ? 1 : this->capacity_ * 2);
   }
 
-  Rcomplex r_value = static_cast<Rcomplex>(value);
-
   if (this->data_p_ != nullptr) {
-    this->data_p_[this->length_] = r_value;
+    this->data_p_[this->length_] = static_cast<Rcomplex>(value);
   } else {
-    this->set_elt(this->data_, this->length_, r_value);
+    set_elt(this->data_, this->length_, value);
   }
 
   ++this->length_;
diff --git a/inst/include/cpp11/r_vector.hpp b/inst/include/cpp11/r_vector.hpp
index 576f4fe6..1edf3233 100644
--- a/inst/include/cpp11/r_vector.hpp
+++ b/inst/include/cpp11/r_vector.hpp
@@ -237,6 +237,8 @@ class r_vector : public cpp11::r_vector<T> {
   void push_back(T value);
   /// Implemented in `strings.hpp`
   void push_back(const named_arg& value);
+  // Implemented in `complexes.hpp`
+  void push_back(const std::complex<double>& value);
   void pop_back();
 
   void resize(R_xlen_t count);