diff --git a/DESCRIPTION b/DESCRIPTION
index 14b8c523bf..11faa20ce6 100644
--- a/DESCRIPTION
+++ b/DESCRIPTION
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 Package: tiledb
 Type: Package
-Version: 0.22.0.1
+Version: 0.22.0.2
 Title: Modern Database Engine for Multi-Modal Data via Sparse and Dense Multidimensional Arrays
 Authors@R: c(person("TileDB, Inc.", role = c("aut", "cph")),
  person("Dirk", "Eddelbuettel", email = "dirk@tiledb.com", role = "cre"))
diff --git a/NEWS.md b/NEWS.md
index 847dfb6fe4..8dfc7353f9 100644
--- a/NEWS.md
+++ b/NEWS.md
@@ -1,5 +1,9 @@
 # Ongoing development
 
+## Improvements
+
+* A TileDB Array can now be opened in 'keep open' mode for subsequent use without re-opening (#630)
+
 ## Build and Test Systems
 
 * Builds from TileDB Core non-release tarballs are now supported via new configure option (#627)
diff --git a/R/TileDBArray.R b/R/TileDBArray.R
index 1aa503fc34..72b1f1b5e2 100644
--- a/R/TileDBArray.R
+++ b/R/TileDBArray.R
@@ -63,6 +63,7 @@
 #' \code{/dev/shm}) for writing out results buffers (for internal use / testing)
 #' @slot buffers An optional list with full pathnames of shared memory buffers to read data from
 #' @slot strings_as_factors An optional logical to convert character columns to factor type
+#' @slot keep_open An optional logical to not close after read or write
 #' @slot ptr External pointer to the underlying implementation
 #' @exportClass tiledb_array
 setClass("tiledb_array",
@@ -85,6 +86,7 @@ setClass("tiledb_array",
                       return_as = "character",
                       query_statistics = "logical",
                       strings_as_factors = "logical",
+                      keep_open = "logical",
                       sil = "list",
                       dumpbuffers = "character",
                       buffers = "list",
@@ -135,6 +137,7 @@ setClass("tiledb_array",
 #' \sQuote{query_statistics} of the return object.
 #' @param strings_as_factors An optional logical to convert character columns to factor type; defaults
 #' to the value of \code{getOption("stringsAsFactors", FALSE)}.
+#' @param keep_open An optional logical to not close after read or write
 #' @param sil optional A list, by default empty to store schema information when query objects are
 #' parsed.
 #' @param dumpbuffers An optional character variable with a directory name (relative to
@@ -163,14 +166,15 @@ tiledb_array <- function(uri,
                          return_as = get_return_as_preference(),
                          query_statistics = FALSE,
                          strings_as_factors = getOption("stringsAsFactors", FALSE),
+                         keep_open = FALSE,
                          sil = list(),
                          dumpbuffers = character(),
                          buffers = list(),
                          ctx = tiledb_get_context()) {
-  stopifnot(`Argument 'ctx' must be a tiledb_ctx object` = is(ctx, "tiledb_ctx"),
-            `Argument 'uri' must be a string scalar` = !missing(uri) && is.scalar(uri, "character"),
-            `At most one argument of as.data.frame, as.matrix and as.array can be selected` = sum(as.data.frame, as.matrix, as.array) <= 1,
-            `Argument 'as.matrix' cannot be selected for sparse arrays` = !(isTRUE(is.sparse) && as.matrix))
+  stopifnot("Argument 'ctx' must be a tiledb_ctx object" = is(ctx, "tiledb_ctx"),
+            "Argument 'uri' must be a string scalar" = !missing(uri) && is.scalar(uri, "character"),
+            "At most one argument of as.data.frame, as.matrix and as.array can be selected" = sum(as.data.frame, as.matrix, as.array) <= 1,
+            "Argument 'as.matrix' cannot be selected for sparse arrays" = !(isTRUE(is.sparse) && as.matrix))
   query_type <- match.arg(query_type)
   spdl::debug("[tiledb_array] query is {}", query_type)
   if (sum(as.data.frame, as.matrix, as.array) == 1 && return_as != "asis")
@@ -205,7 +209,7 @@ tiledb_array <- function(uri,
     }
   }
   is.sparse <- is_sparse_status
-  array_xptr <- libtiledb_array_close(array_xptr)
+  if (!keep_open) array_xptr <- libtiledb_array_close(array_xptr)
   new("tiledb_array",
       ctx = ctx,
       uri = uri,
@@ -226,6 +230,7 @@ tiledb_array <- function(uri,
       return_as = return_as,
       query_statistics = query_statistics,
       strings_as_factors = strings_as_factors,
+      keep_open = keep_open,
       sil = sil,
       dumpbuffers = dumpbuffers,
       buffers = buffers,
@@ -307,6 +312,7 @@ setMethod("show", signature = "tiledb_array",
      ,"  return_as          = '", object@return_as, "'\n"
      ,"  query_statistics   = ", if (object@query_statistics) "TRUE" else "FALSE", "\n"
      ,"  strings_as_factors = ", if (object@strings_as_factors) "TRUE" else "FALSE", "\n"
+     ,"  keep_open          = ", if (object@keep_open) "TRUE" else "FALSE", "\n"
      ,sep="")
 })
 
@@ -443,6 +449,11 @@ setValidity("tiledb_array", function(object) {
     msg <- c(msg, "The 'strings_as_factors' slot does not contain a logical value.")
   }
 
+  if (!is.logical(object@keep_open)) {
+    valid <- FALSE
+    msg <- c(msg, "The 'keep_open' slot does not contain a logical value.")
+  }
+
   if (valid) TRUE else msg
 
 })
@@ -961,7 +972,7 @@ setMethod("[", "tiledb_array",
 
           ## close array
           if (status == "COMPLETE") {
-              libtiledb_array_close(arrptr)
+              if (!x@keep_open) libtiledb_array_close(arrptr)
               .pkgenv[["query_status"]] <- status
               finished <- TRUE
           }
@@ -1410,7 +1421,7 @@ setMethod("[<-", "tiledb_array",
     }
 
     qryptr <- libtiledb_query_submit(qryptr)
-    libtiledb_array_close(arrptr)
+    if (!x@keep_open) libtiledb_array_close(arrptr)
 
   }
   invisible(x)
diff --git a/inst/tinytest/test_tiledbarray.R b/inst/tinytest/test_tiledbarray.R
index f75305ec35..c3692bcfce 100644
--- a/inst/tinytest/test_tiledbarray.R
+++ b/inst/tinytest/test_tiledbarray.R
@@ -1570,3 +1570,13 @@ sch <- tiledb::schema(arr)
 ver <- tiledb_array_schema_version(sch)
 expect_true(inherits(ver, "integer"))
 expect_true(is.finite(ver))
+
+## check for optional 'keep open'
+uri <- tempfile()
+fromDataFrame(mtcars, uri)
+arr <- tiledb_array(uri)
+res <- arr[]
+expect_false(tiledb_array_is_open(arr))
+arr <- tiledb_array(uri, keep_open=TRUE)
+res <- arr[]
+expect_true(tiledb_array_is_open(arr))
diff --git a/man/tiledb_array-class.Rd b/man/tiledb_array-class.Rd
index 5df9bc9c91..ee97b1ada8 100644
--- a/man/tiledb_array-class.Rd
+++ b/man/tiledb_array-class.Rd
@@ -70,6 +70,8 @@ parsing queries.}
 
 \item{\code{strings_as_factors}}{An optional logical to convert character columns to factor type}
 
+\item{\code{keep_open}}{An optional logical to not close after read or write}
+
 \item{\code{ptr}}{External pointer to the underlying implementation}
 }}
 
diff --git a/man/tiledb_array.Rd b/man/tiledb_array.Rd
index 183f9ec213..e0503df5af 100644
--- a/man/tiledb_array.Rd
+++ b/man/tiledb_array.Rd
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ tiledb_array(
   return_as = get_return_as_preference(),
   query_statistics = FALSE,
   strings_as_factors = getOption("stringsAsFactors", FALSE),
+  keep_open = FALSE,
   sil = list(),
   dumpbuffers = character(),
   buffers = list(),
@@ -97,6 +98,8 @@ query statistics are returned (as a JSON string) via the attribute
 \item{strings_as_factors}{An optional logical to convert character columns to factor type; defaults
 to the value of \code{getOption("stringsAsFactors", FALSE)}.}
 
+\item{keep_open}{An optional logical to not close after read or write}
+
 \item{sil}{optional A list, by default empty to store schema information when query objects are
 parsed.}