diff --git a/r/src/arrow_cpp11.h b/r/src/arrow_cpp11.h
index f5d0cbc1a9c95..1b69468b3bf04 100644
--- a/r/src/arrow_cpp11.h
+++ b/r/src/arrow_cpp11.h
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@
 #include <vector>
 #undef Free
 
-#include "arrow/util/nameof.h"
+#include "./nameof.h"
 
 namespace cpp11 {
 
@@ -160,8 +160,8 @@ struct ns {
 template <typename Pointer>
 Pointer r6_to_pointer(SEXP self) {
   if (!Rf_inherits(self, "ArrowObject")) {
-    std::string type_name =
-        arrow::util::nameof<typename std::remove_pointer<Pointer>::type>();
+    std::string type_name = arrow::util::nameof<
+        cpp11::decay_t<typename std::remove_pointer<Pointer>::type>>();
     cpp11::stop("Invalid R object for %s, must be an ArrowObject", type_name.c_str());
   }
   void* p = R_ExternalPtrAddr(Rf_findVarInFrame(self, arrow::r::symbols::xp));
diff --git a/cpp/src/arrow/util/nameof.h b/r/src/nameof.h
similarity index 100%
rename from cpp/src/arrow/util/nameof.h
rename to r/src/nameof.h