diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 5d9988fc555a0ffe21e17fc12ad5b733bf6df86d..3eed6ca4779f8143dad9407775f4be957a28d9d6 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@
 /com.oracle.truffle.r.native/include/linked
 /com.oracle.truffle.r.native/fficall/jni.done
 /com.oracle.truffle.r.native/fficall/jniboot.done
-
+/com.oracle.truffle.r.native.recommended/install.recommended
 /com.oracle.truffle.r.test.native/packages/copy_recommended
 /com.oracle.truffle.r.test.native/packages/recommended
 /com.oracle.truffle.r.test.native/packages/*/lib/*
diff --git a/mx.fastr/mx_fastr.py b/mx.fastr/mx_fastr.py
index 6ce83b3ed57ea55ca38e6c2579552e5d1d602a4e..8867d380fb317d0a3b68ce7ac90ce0697f83b79a 100644
--- a/mx.fastr/mx_fastr.py
+++ b/mx.fastr/mx_fastr.py
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ import mx
 import mx_gate
 import mx_fastr_pkgs
 import mx_fastr_dists
-from mx_fastr_dists import FastRNativeProject, FastRTestNativeProject, FastRReleaseProject #pylint: disable=unused-import
+from mx_fastr_dists import FastRNativeProject, FastRTestNativeProject, FastRReleaseProject, FastRNativeRecommendedProject #pylint: disable=unused-import
 import mx_copylib
 import mx_fastr_mkgramrd
 
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ def do_run_r(args, command, extraVmArgs=None, jdk=None, **kwargs):
     if not jdk:
         jdk = get_default_jdk()
 
-    vmArgs = ['-cp', mx.classpath(jdk=jdk)]
+    vmArgs = ['-cp', mx.classpath('FASTR', jdk=jdk)]
 
     if 'nocompile' in kwargs:
         nocompile = True
diff --git a/mx.fastr/mx_fastr_dists.py b/mx.fastr/mx_fastr_dists.py
index 39961a6f024e63d1f9f7d17744e708655efc5abd..3540c599f7ecd348db8c5d26ffb34fbb357ced2f 100644
--- a/mx.fastr/mx_fastr_dists.py
+++ b/mx.fastr/mx_fastr_dists.py
@@ -263,6 +263,23 @@ class ReleaseBuildTask(mx.NativeBuildTask):
         rscript_launcher = join(self.subject.dir, 'src', 'Rscript_launcher')
         self._template(rscript_launcher, join(bin_dir, 'Rscript'), template_dict)
 
+class FastRNativeRecommendedProject(mx.NativeProject):
+    def __init__(self, suite, name, deps, workingSets, theLicense, **args):
+        mx.NativeProject.__init__(self, suite, name, None, [], deps, workingSets, None, None, join(suite.dir, name), theLicense)
+
+    def getBuildTask(self, args):
+        return NativeRecommendedBuildTask(self, args)
+
+class NativeRecommendedBuildTask(mx.NativeBuildTask):
+    def __init__(self, project, args):
+        mx.NativeBuildTask.__init__(self, args, project)
+
+    def build(self):
+        # must archive FASTR before build so that nested mx R CMD INSTALL can execute
+        mx.archive(['@FASTR'])
+        mx.NativeBuildTask.build(self)
+
+
 class FastRArchiveParticipant:
     def __init__(self, dist):
         self.dist = dist
@@ -292,7 +309,6 @@ class FastRArchiveParticipant:
             include_dir = join(self.release_project.dir, 'include')
             shutil.rmtree(include_dir)
 
-
 def mx_post_parse_cmd_line(opts):
     for dist in mx_fastr._fastr_suite.dists:
         dist.set_archiveparticipant(FastRArchiveParticipant(dist))
diff --git a/mx.fastr/suite.py b/mx.fastr/suite.py
index 5d1379f0555a68c8ba42ceda0d8e440b547b8e63..da713a08244b552f29416732cf7676b27770bb3f 100644
--- a/mx.fastr/suite.py
+++ b/mx.fastr/suite.py
@@ -261,22 +261,19 @@ suite = {
 
     "com.oracle.truffle.r.release" : {
       "sourceDirs" : ["src"],
-      "dependencies" : ["com.oracle.truffle.r.engine", "com.oracle.truffle.r.runtime.ffi", "com.oracle.truffle.r.native"],
+      "dependencies" : ["com.oracle.truffle.r.native.recommended"],
       "class" : "FastRReleaseProject",
       "output" : "com.oracle.truffle.r.release"
     },
 
     "com.oracle.truffle.r.native.recommended" : {
-      "sourceDirs" : [],
-      # these dependencies ensure that all distributions are built
-      # before the nested mx that does the CMD INSTALL runs
       "dependencies" : [
-        "com.oracle.truffle.r.release",
-        "com.oracle.truffle.r.test",
-        "com.oracle.truffle.r.test.native"
+        "com.oracle.truffle.r.native",
+        "com.oracle.truffle.r.engine",
+        "com.oracle.truffle.r.runtime.ffi"
       ],
+      "class" : "FastRNativeRecommendedProject",
       "native" : "true",
-      "output" : "com.oracle.truffle.r.native.recommended",
       "workingSets" : "FastR",
     },