diff --git a/R-package/vignettes/xgboostPresentation.Rmd b/R-package/vignettes/xgboostPresentation.Rmd
index 17283c915021..6d1bab7066c9 100644
--- a/R-package/vignettes/xgboostPresentation.Rmd
+++ b/R-package/vignettes/xgboostPresentation.Rmd
@@ -410,7 +410,7 @@ In some very specific cases, like when you want to pilot **XGBoost** from `caret
 
 ```{r saveLoadRBinVectorModel, message=F, warning=F}
 # save model to R's raw vector
-rawVec <- xgb.save.raw(bst)
+rawVec <- xgb.serialize(bst)
 
 # print class
 print(class(rawVec))
diff --git a/include/xgboost/span.h b/include/xgboost/span.h
index 4850d7543bf9..29b0b9a7930d 100644
--- a/include/xgboost/span.h
+++ b/include/xgboost/span.h
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@
 #define XGBOOST_SPAN_H_
 
 #include <xgboost/base.h>
+#include <xgboost/logging.h>
 
 #include <cinttypes>          // size_t
 #include <limits>             // numeric_limits
@@ -85,9 +86,11 @@ namespace common {
     }                                                                          \
   } while (0);
 
-#ifdef __CUDA_ARCH__
+#if defined(__CUDA_ARCH__)
 #define SPAN_CHECK KERNEL_CHECK
-#else
+#elif defined(XGBOOST_STRICT_R_MODE) && XGBOOST_STRICT_R_MODE == 1  // R package
+#define SPAN_CHECK CHECK  // check from dmlc
+#else  // not CUDA, not R
 #define SPAN_CHECK(cond)                                                       \
   do {                                                                         \
     if (XGBOOST_EXPECT(!(cond), false)) {                                      \