diff --git a/R/pkg/NAMESPACE b/R/pkg/NAMESPACE
index dce64e1e607c8..cd119b06c78f4 100644
--- a/R/pkg/NAMESPACE
+++ b/R/pkg/NAMESPACE
@@ -76,7 +76,9 @@ exportMethods("glm",
 export("setJobGroup",
        "clearJobGroup",
        "cancelJobGroup",
-       "setJobDescription")
+       "setJobDescription",
+       "setLocalProperty",
+       "getLocalProperty")
 
 # Export Utility methods
 export("setLogLevel")
diff --git a/R/pkg/R/sparkR.R b/R/pkg/R/sparkR.R
index fb5f1d21fc723..965471f3b07a0 100644
--- a/R/pkg/R/sparkR.R
+++ b/R/pkg/R/sparkR.R
@@ -560,10 +560,55 @@ cancelJobGroup <- function(sc, groupId) {
 #'}
 #' @note setJobDescription since 2.3.0
 setJobDescription <- function(value) {
+  if (!is.null(value)) {
+    value <- as.character(value)
+  }
   sc <- getSparkContext()
   invisible(callJMethod(sc, "setJobDescription", value))
 }
 
+#' Set a local property that affects jobs submitted from this thread, such as the
+#' Spark fair scheduler pool.
+#'
+#' @param key The key for a local property.
+#' @param value The value for a local property.
+#' @rdname setLocalProperty
+#' @name setLocalProperty
+#' @examples
+#'\dontrun{
+#' setLocalProperty("spark.scheduler.pool", "poolA")
+#'}
+#' @note setLocalProperty since 2.3.0
+setLocalProperty <- function(key, value) {
+  if (is.null(key) || is.na(key)) {
+    stop("key should not be NULL or NA.")
+  }
+  if (!is.null(value)) {
+    value <- as.character(value)
+  }
+  sc <- getSparkContext()
+  invisible(callJMethod(sc, "setLocalProperty", as.character(key), value))
+}
+
+#' Get a local property set in this thread, or \code{NULL} if it is missing. See
+#' \code{setLocalProperty}.
+#'
+#' @param key The key for a local property.
+#' @rdname getLocalProperty
+#' @name getLocalProperty
+#' @examples
+#'\dontrun{
+#' getLocalProperty("spark.scheduler.pool")
+#'}
+#' @note getLocalProperty since 2.3.0
+getLocalProperty <- function(key) {
+  if (is.null(key) || is.na(key)) {
+    stop("key should not be NULL or NA.")
+  }
+  sc <- getSparkContext()
+  callJMethod(sc, "getLocalProperty", as.character(key))
+}
+
 sparkConfToSubmitOps <- new.env()
 sparkConfToSubmitOps[["spark.driver.memory"]]           <- "--driver-memory"
 sparkConfToSubmitOps[["spark.driver.extraClassPath"]]   <- "--driver-class-path"
diff --git a/R/pkg/tests/fulltests/test_context.R b/R/pkg/tests/fulltests/test_context.R
index 77635c5a256b9..f0d0a5114f89f 100644
--- a/R/pkg/tests/fulltests/test_context.R
+++ b/R/pkg/tests/fulltests/test_context.R
@@ -100,7 +100,6 @@ test_that("job group functions can be called", {
   setJobGroup("groupId", "job description", TRUE)
   cancelJobGroup("groupId")
   clearJobGroup()
-  setJobDescription("job description")
 
   suppressWarnings(setJobGroup(sc, "groupId", "job description", TRUE))
   suppressWarnings(cancelJobGroup(sc, "groupId"))
@@ -108,6 +107,38 @@ test_that("job group functions can be called", {
   sparkR.session.stop()
 })
 
+test_that("job description and local properties can be set and got", {
+  sc <- sparkR.sparkContext(master = sparkRTestMaster)
+  setJobDescription("job description")
+  expect_equal(getLocalProperty("spark.job.description"), "job description")
+  setJobDescription(1234)
+  expect_equal(getLocalProperty("spark.job.description"), "1234")
+  setJobDescription(NULL)
+  expect_equal(getLocalProperty("spark.job.description"), NULL)
+  setJobDescription(NA)
+  expect_equal(getLocalProperty("spark.job.description"), NULL)
+
+  setLocalProperty("spark.scheduler.pool", "poolA")
+  expect_equal(getLocalProperty("spark.scheduler.pool"), "poolA")
+  setLocalProperty("spark.scheduler.pool", NULL)
+  expect_equal(getLocalProperty("spark.scheduler.pool"), NULL)
+  setLocalProperty("spark.scheduler.pool", NA)
+  expect_equal(getLocalProperty("spark.scheduler.pool"), NULL)
+
+  setLocalProperty(4321, 1234)
+  expect_equal(getLocalProperty(4321), "1234")
+  setLocalProperty(4321, NULL)
+  expect_equal(getLocalProperty(4321), NULL)
+  setLocalProperty(4321, NA)
+  expect_equal(getLocalProperty(4321), NULL)
+
+  expect_error(setLocalProperty(NULL, "should fail"), "key should not be NULL or NA")
+  expect_error(getLocalProperty(NULL), "key should not be NULL or NA")
+  expect_error(setLocalProperty(NA, "should fail"), "key should not be NULL or NA")
+  expect_error(getLocalProperty(NA), "key should not be NULL or NA")
+  sparkR.session.stop()
+})
+
 test_that("utility function can be called", {
   sparkR.sparkContext(master = sparkRTestMaster)
   setLogLevel("ERROR")