diff --git a/NEWS.md b/NEWS.md
index 8a38ff5e..5097676f 100644
--- a/NEWS.md
+++ b/NEWS.md
@@ -14,6 +14,8 @@
 
 * The `rwasm` R package is now installed into the system library as part of the webR development Docker container (#443, r-wasm/actions#10).
 
+* `webR.installPackages()` now correctly handles both `string` and `string[]` arguments for package names and binary repositories (#437).
+
 # webR 0.3.3
 
 ## New features
diff --git a/src/webR/webr-chan.ts b/src/webR/webr-chan.ts
index 286a19e3..020ce09f 100644
--- a/src/webR/webr-chan.ts
+++ b/src/webR/webr-chan.ts
@@ -26,10 +26,10 @@ export interface CallRObjectMethodMessage extends Message {
  */
 export interface InstallPackagesOptions {
   /**
-   * The R package repository from which to download packages.
+   * The R package repositories from which to download packages.
    * Default: The configured default webR package repository.
    */
-  repos?: string;
+  repos?: string | string[];
   /**
    * If `true`, do not output downloading messages.
    * Default: `false`.
@@ -44,9 +44,9 @@ export interface InstallPackagesOptions {
 
 /** @internal */
 export interface InstallPackagesMessage extends Message {
-  type: 'installPackage';
+  type: 'installPackages';
   data: {
-    name: string;
+    name: string | string[];
     options: InstallPackagesOptions;
   };
 }
diff --git a/src/webR/webr-main.ts b/src/webR/webr-main.ts
index bfb88b75..cba7f12e 100644
--- a/src/webR/webr-main.ts
+++ b/src/webR/webr-main.ts
@@ -363,21 +363,20 @@ export class WebR {
   }
 
   /**
-   * Install a list of R packages from a Wasm binary package repo.
-   * @param {string[]} packages An array of R package names.
+   * Install a list of R packages from Wasm binary package repositories.
+   * @param {string | string[]} packages An string or array of strings
+   *   containing R package names.
    * @param {InstallPackagesOptions} [options] Options to be used when
    *   installing webR packages.
    */
-  async installPackages(packages: string[], options?: InstallPackagesOptions) {
+  async installPackages(packages: string | string[], options?: InstallPackagesOptions) {
     const op = Object.assign({
       quiet: false,
       mount: true
     }, options);
 
-    for (const name of packages) {
-      const msg = { type: 'installPackage', data: { name, options: op } };
-      await this.#chan.request(msg);
-    }
+    const msg = { type: 'installPackages', data: { name: packages, options: op } };
+    await this.#chan.request(msg);
   }
 
   /**
diff --git a/src/webR/webr-worker.ts b/src/webR/webr-worker.ts
index b2bb7916..8013524d 100644
--- a/src/webR/webr-worker.ts
+++ b/src/webR/webr-worker.ts
@@ -421,11 +421,15 @@ function dispatch(msg: Message): void {
             break;
           }
 
-          case 'installPackage': {
+          case 'installPackages': {
             const msg = reqMsg as InstallPackagesMessage;
+            let pkgs = msg.data.name;
+            let repos = msg.data.options.repos ? msg.data.options.repos : _config.repoUrl;
+            if (typeof pkgs === "string") pkgs = [ pkgs ];
+            if (typeof repos === "string") repos = [ repos ];
             evalR(`webr::install(
-              "${msg.data.name}",
-              repos = "${msg.data.options.repos ? msg.data.options.repos : _config.repoUrl}",
+              c(${pkgs.map((r) => '"' + r + '"').join(',')}),
+              repos = c(${repos.map((r) => '"' + r + '"').join(',')}),
               quiet = ${msg.data.options.quiet ? 'TRUE' : 'FALSE'},
               mount = ${msg.data.options.mount ? 'TRUE' : 'FALSE'}
             )`);