diff --git a/binary/_mac/r-base/r-base.py b/binary/_mac/r-base/r-base.py
index 8798c5c3..6677f4ba 100644
--- a/binary/_mac/r-base/r-base.py
+++ b/binary/_mac/r-base/r-base.py
@@ -1,73 +1,74 @@
 # -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
 
 import info
 
 PACKAGE_CRAN_MIRROR = 'http://ftp.gwdg.de/pub/misc/cran'
 PACKAGE_PATH = '/bin/macosx/'
 
 
 class subinfo(info.infoclass):
     def setDependencies(self):
         self.runtimeDependencies["virtual/bin-base"] = None
 
     def setTargets(self):
-        for version in ['3.3.3']:
+        # NOTE on choice of versions: 3.4.4 = earliest official build with R_GE_version 12
+        #                             3.3.3 = last official build to work with MacOS < 10.11
+        for version in ['3.4.4', '3.3.3']:
             self.targets[version] = PACKAGE_CRAN_MIRROR + PACKAGE_PATH + 'R-' + version + '.pkg'
-        self.defaultTarget = '3.3.3'  # NOTE: Last official build to work with MacOS < 10.11
-        self.patchLevel['3.3.3'] = 2
+        self.defaultTarget = '3.4.4'
 
 
 from Package.BinaryPackageBase import *
 
 
 # Apologies: This is a terrible HACK, but the alternatives are not any good, either.
 # Buidling from source requires a) fortran b) specific versions of bzip2, and pcre. And
 # c) It will result in an installation that cannot install offical R binar packages.
 #
 # So, instead, we hack the R installation to run from our path, which works - for the time being.
 class Package(BinaryPackageBase):
     def __init__(self):
         BinaryPackageBase.__init__(self)
         # don't use shortcut to unpack into imageDir()
         self.buildSystemType = 'custom'
         # create combined package
         self.subinfo.options.package.withCompiler = None
 
     def unpack(self):
         workdir = self.workDir()
         utils.cleanDirectory(workdir)
         pkgextractdir = os.path.join(workdir, 'pkgextract')
         cpioextractdir = os.path.join(workdir, 'cpioextractdir')
         for filename in self.localFileNames():  # Should be only one
             utils.system('pkgutil --expand ' + os.path.join(CraftCore.standardDirs.downloadDir(), "archives", self.package.path, filename) + " " + pkgextractdir)
             utils.cleanDirectory(cpioextractdir)
             os.chdir(cpioextractdir)
             utils.system('cat ' + pkgextractdir + '/r.pkg/Payload | gzip -dc | cpio -i')
 
         return True
 
     def install(self):
         srcdir = cpioextractdir = os.path.join(self.workDir(), 'cpioextractdir')
         dstdir = os.path.join(self.installDir() ,'lib', 'R')
 
         utils.cleanDirectory(dstdir)
         utils.copyDir(srcdir, dstdir)
 
         r_wrapper_rel = os.path.join('R.framework', 'Resources' , 'R')
         r_wrapper = os.path.join(dstdir, r_wrapper_rel)
         # make R run from relative path
         with open(r_wrapper, 'r') as file:
            content  = file.read()
         content = content.replace('\n', '\n# NOTE: RINSTDIR inserted by Craft blueprint, in order to make installation movable.\n'
                                         'RINSTDIR="$0"\n'
                                         'if [ -L "$0" ]; then\n'
                                         '   RINSTDIR=$(dirname "$0")/$(readlink "$0")\n'
                                         'fi\n'
                                         'RINSTDIR=$(dirname $(dirname $(dirname $(dirname "${RINSTDIR}"))))\n', 1)
         content = content.replace('/Library/Frameworks', '${RINSTDIR}')
         with open(r_wrapper, 'w') as file:
            file.write(content)
 
         utils.createShim(os.path.join(self.imageDir(), 'bin', 'R'), os.path.join(self.imageDir(), 'lib', 'R', r_wrapper_rel))
 
         return True