diff --git a/src/roboticstoolbox/robot/RobotKinematics.py b/src/roboticstoolbox/robot/RobotKinematics.py
index 4e93d7d86..96aedc9f6 100644
--- a/src/roboticstoolbox/robot/RobotKinematics.py
+++ b/src/roboticstoolbox/robot/RobotKinematics.py
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 @author: Jesse Haviland
 """
 
+import numpy as np
 from roboticstoolbox.robot.RobotProto import KinematicsProtocol
 from roboticstoolbox.tools.types import ArrayLike, NDArray
 from roboticstoolbox.robot.Link import Link
@@ -11,6 +12,30 @@
 from typing import Literal as L, overload
 
 
+def _as_se3(T: NDArray | SE3) -> SE3:
+    """
+    Convert a pose or pose trajectory to an SE3 object
+
+    :param T: an SE3, a 4x4 array, or an (N, 4, 4) array of N poses
+    :raises ValueError: if ``T`` is an array of any other shape
+    :returns: an SE3 object holding one or N poses
+
+    .. note:: This is a workaround for a spatialmath (SMTB) limitation.  The
+        ``SE3`` constructor does not accept an (N, 4, 4) array, and with
+        ``check=False`` it silently builds a malformed object from one.  An
+        (N, 4, 4) array is therefore converted to a list of matrices first.
+        Once SMTB accepts such arrays this can go, see
+        https://github.com/rai-opensource/spatialmath-python/issues/236
+    """
+    if isinstance(T, np.ndarray):
+        if T.shape != (4, 4) and not (T.ndim == 3 and T.shape[1:] == (4, 4)):
+            raise ValueError("T must be an SE3, a 4x4 array or an (N, 4, 4) array")
+        if T.ndim == 3:
+            # SMTB workaround, see the note above
+            return SE3(list(T), check=False)
+    return SE3(T, check=False)
+
+
 class RobotKinematicsMixin:
     """
     The Robot Kinematics Mixin class
@@ -680,7 +705,7 @@ def ik_LM(
         """
 
         return self.ets(start, end).ik_LM(
-            Tep=SE3(Tep, check=False) * self._resolve_tool(tool).inv(),
+            Tep=_as_se3(Tep) * self._resolve_tool(tool).inv(),
             q0=q0,
             ilimit=ilimit,
             slimit=slimit,
@@ -805,7 +830,7 @@ def ik_NR(
         """
 
         return self.ets(start, end).ik_NR(
-            Tep=SE3(Tep, check=False) * self._resolve_tool(tool).inv(),
+            Tep=_as_se3(Tep) * self._resolve_tool(tool).inv(),
             q0=q0,
             ilimit=ilimit,
             slimit=slimit,
@@ -945,7 +970,7 @@ def ik_GN(
         """
 
         return self.ets(start, end).ik_GN(
-            Tep=SE3(Tep, check=False) * self._resolve_tool(tool).inv(),
+            Tep=_as_se3(Tep) * self._resolve_tool(tool).inv(),
             q0=q0,
             ilimit=ilimit,
             slimit=slimit,
@@ -1127,7 +1152,7 @@ def ikine_LM(
         """
 
         return self.ets(start, end).ikine_LM(
-            Tep=SE3(Tep, check=False) * self._resolve_tool(tool).inv(),
+            Tep=_as_se3(Tep) * self._resolve_tool(tool).inv(),
             q0=q0,
             ilimit=ilimit,
             slimit=slimit,
@@ -1257,7 +1282,7 @@ def ikine_NR(
         """
 
         return self.ets(start, end).ikine_NR(
-            Tep=SE3(Tep, check=False) * self._resolve_tool(tool).inv(),
+            Tep=_as_se3(Tep) * self._resolve_tool(tool).inv(),
             q0=q0,
             ilimit=ilimit,
             slimit=slimit,
@@ -1401,7 +1426,7 @@ def ikine_GN(
         """
 
         return self.ets(start, end).ikine_GN(
-            Tep=SE3(Tep, check=False) * self._resolve_tool(tool).inv(),
+            Tep=_as_se3(Tep) * self._resolve_tool(tool).inv(),
             q0=q0,
             ilimit=ilimit,
             slimit=slimit,
@@ -1584,7 +1609,7 @@ def ikine_QP(
         """
 
         return self.ets(start, end).ikine_QP(
-            Tep=SE3(Tep, check=False) * self._resolve_tool(tool).inv(),
+            Tep=_as_se3(Tep) * self._resolve_tool(tool).inv(),
             q0=q0,
             ilimit=ilimit,
             slimit=slimit,
diff --git a/tests/test_IK.py b/tests/test_IK.py
index 1672ec4f5..a3c533f1a 100644
--- a/tests/test_IK.py
+++ b/tests/test_IK.py
@@ -623,6 +623,32 @@ def test_ets_ikine_QP2(self):
 
         self.assertGreater(test_tol, E)
 
+    def test_robot_ikine_accepts_pose_arrays(self):
+        # Robot.ikine_* must treat an (N, 4, 4) array like the ETS methods do
+        panda = rtb.models.Panda()
+        Ts = panda.fkine(np.array([panda.qr, panda.qr + 0.1, panda.qr - 0.1]))
+        self.assertEqual(len(Ts), 3)
+        Tarr = np.array(Ts.A)  # Ts.A is a list of matrices, make a real 3-D array
+        self.assertEqual(Tarr.shape, (3, 4, 4))
+
+        for method in ("ikine_LM", "ikine_GN", "ikine_NR"):
+            sol = getattr(panda, method)(Tarr, q0=panda.qr, seed=0, joint_limits=False)
+            self.assertEqual(sol.q.shape, (3, panda.n), method)
+            sol_se3 = getattr(panda, method)(
+                Ts, q0=panda.qr, seed=0, joint_limits=False
+            )
+            nt.assert_allclose(sol.q, sol_se3.q, err_msg=method)
+
+        # a single pose as a 4x4 array still works
+        sol = panda.ikine_LM(Ts[0].A, q0=panda.qr, seed=0)
+        self.assertEqual(sol.q.shape, (panda.n,))
+
+    def test_robot_ikine_rejects_badly_shaped_arrays(self):
+        panda = rtb.models.Panda()
+        for bad in (np.eye(3), np.zeros((2, 3, 4)), np.zeros(16)):
+            with self.assertRaises(ValueError):
+                panda.ikine_LM(bad, q0=panda.qr)
+
     def test_ik_nr(self):
 
         tol = 1e-6