diff --git a/spacy/util.py b/spacy/util.py
index 8c9ea319c..2b6f50a6b 100644
--- a/spacy/util.py
+++ b/spacy/util.py
@@ -2,23 +2,74 @@ import os
 import io
 import json
 import re
-
-from sputnik import Sputnik
+import os.path
+from contextlib import contextmanager
 
 from .attrs import TAG, HEAD, DEP, ENT_IOB, ENT_TYPE
 
 
-def get_package(name=None, data_path=None):
-    if data_path is None:
-        if os.environ.get('SPACY_DATA'):
-            data_path = os.environ.get('SPACY_DATA')
-        else:
-            data_path = os.path.abspath(
-                os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), 'data'))
+def local_path(subdir):
+    return os.path.abspath(os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), 'data'))
 
-    sputnik = Sputnik('spacy', '0.100.0')  # TODO: retrieve version
-    pool = sputnik.pool(data_path)
-    return pool.get(name or 'en_default')
+
+class MockPackage(object):
+    @classmethod
+    def create_or_return(cls, me_or_arg):
+        return me_or_arg if isinstance(me_or_arg, cls) else me_or_arg
+
+    def __init__(self, data_path=None):
+        if data_path is None:
+            data_path = local_path('data')
+        self.name = None
+        self.data_path = data_path
+        self._root = self.data_path
+
+    def get(self, key):
+        pass
+
+    def has_file(self, *path_parts):
+        return os.path.exists(os.path.join(self._root, *path_parts))
+
+    def file_path(self, *path_parts, **kwargs):
+        return os.path.join(self._root, *path_parts)
+
+    def dir_path(self, *path_parts, **kwargs):
+        return os.path.join(self._root, *path_parts)
+
+    def load_utf8(self, func, *path_parts, **kwargs):
+        if kwargs.get('require', True):
+            with io.open(self.file_path(os.path.join(*path_parts)),
+                        mode='r', encoding='utf8') as f:
+                return func(f)
+        else:
+            return None
+    
+    @contextmanager
+    def open(self, path_parts, default=IOError):
+        if isinstance(default, Exception):
+            raise default
+
+        # Enter
+        file_ = io.open(self.file_path(os.path.join(*path_parts)),
+                        mode='r', encoding='utf8')
+        yield file_
+        # Exit
+        file_.close()
+
+
+
+def get_package(name=None, data_path=None):
+    return MockPackage(data_path)
+    #if data_path is None:
+    #    if os.environ.get('SPACY_DATA'):
+    #        data_path = os.environ.get('SPACY_DATA')
+    #    else:
+    #        data_path = os.path.abspath(
+    #            os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), 'data'))
+
+    #sputnik = Sputnik('spacy', '0.100.0')  # TODO: retrieve version
+    #pool = sputnik.pool(data_path)
+    #return pool.get(name or 'en_default')
 
 
 def normalize_slice(length, start, stop, step=None):