diff --git a/spacy/language.py b/spacy/language.py
index 8e50e298e..771d14de4 100644
--- a/spacy/language.py
+++ b/spacy/language.py
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ from . import util
 from .lemmatizer import Lemmatizer
 
 from .attrs import TAG, DEP, ENT_IOB, ENT_TYPE, HEAD, PROB, LANG, IS_STOP
+from .syntax.parser import get_templates
 
 
 class BaseDefaults(object):
@@ -98,14 +99,14 @@ class BaseDefaults(object):
             return Parser.load(self.path / 'deps', vocab, ArcEager)
         else:
             return Parser.blank(vocab, ArcEager,
-                Parser.default_templates('%s-parser' % self.lang))
+                features=self.parser_features, labels=self.parser_labels)
 
     def Entity(self, vocab):
         if self.path and (self.path / 'ner').exists():
             return Parser.load(self.path / 'ner', vocab, BiluoPushDown)
         else:
             return Parser.blank(vocab, BiluoPushdown,
-                Parser.default_templates('%s-entity' % self.lang))
+                features=self.entity_features, labels=self.entity_labels)
 
     def Matcher(self, vocab):
         if self.path:
@@ -120,9 +121,13 @@ class BaseDefaults(object):
             nlp.parser,
             nlp.entity]
 
-    dep_labels = {0: {'ROOT': True}}
+    parser_labels = {0: {'ROOT': True}}
 
-    ner_labels = {0: {'PER': True, 'LOC': True, 'ORG': True, 'MISC': True}}
+    entity_labels = {0: {'PER': True, 'LOC': True, 'ORG': True, 'MISC': True}}
+
+    parser_features = get_templates('parser')
+    
+    entity_features = get_templates('ner')
 
     stop_words = set()
 
diff --git a/spacy/syntax/parser.pyx b/spacy/syntax/parser.pyx
index 0419c339d..344a13fad 100644
--- a/spacy/syntax/parser.pyx
+++ b/spacy/syntax/parser.pyx
@@ -89,6 +89,14 @@ cdef class Parser:
             model.load(str(path / 'model'))
         return cls(vocab, moves, model, **cfg)
 
+    @classmethod
+    def blank(cls, Vocab vocab, moves_class, **cfg):
+        moves = moves_class(vocab.strings, cfg.get('labels', {}))
+        templates = get_templates(cfg.get('features', tuple()))
+        model = ParserModel(templates)
+        return cls(vocab, moves, model, **cfg)
+
+
     def __init__(self, Vocab vocab, transition_system, ParserModel model, **cfg):
         self.moves = transition_system
         self.model = model
diff --git a/spacy/tests/conftest.py b/spacy/tests/conftest.py
index cc64ee46f..901f459dd 100644
--- a/spacy/tests/conftest.py
+++ b/spacy/tests/conftest.py
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import os
 
 import spacy
 
+
 @pytest.fixture(scope="session")
 def EN():
     return spacy.load("en")
@@ -21,7 +22,6 @@ def pytest_addoption(parser):
         help="include slow tests")
 
 
-
 def pytest_runtest_setup(item):
     for opt in ['models', 'vectors', 'slow']:
         if opt in item.keywords and not item.config.getoption("--%s" % opt):