diff --git a/spacy/pipeline/tok2vec.py b/spacy/pipeline/tok2vec.py
index ef744a5da..83a4454e3 100644
--- a/spacy/pipeline/tok2vec.py
+++ b/spacy/pipeline/tok2vec.py
@@ -103,20 +103,30 @@ class Tok2Vec(Pipe):
         set_dropout_rate(self.model, drop)
         tokvecs, bp_tokvecs = self.model.begin_update(docs)
 
-        def capture_losses(d_tokvecs):
-            """Accumulate tok2vec loss before doing backprop."""
-            l2_loss = sum((d_t2v ** 2).sum() for d_t2v in d_tokvecs)
-            if self.name in losses:
-                losses[self.name] += l2_loss / len(d_tokvecs)
-            else:
-                losses[self.name] = l2_loss / len(d_tokvecs)
-            return bp_tokvecs(d_tokvecs)
+        d_tokvecs = [self.model.ops.alloc2f(*t2v.shape) for t2v in tokvecs]
+        losses.setdefault(self.name, 0.0)
+
+        def accumulate_gradient(one_d_tokvecs):
+            """Accumulate tok2vec loss and gradient. This is passed as a callback
+            to all but the last listener. Only the last one does the backprop.
+            """
+            nonlocal d_tokvecs
+            for i in range(len(one_d_tokvecs)):
+                d_tokvecs[i] += one_d_tokvecs[i]
+                losses[self.name] += float((one_d_tokvecs[i] ** 2).sum())
+
+        def backprop(one_d_tokvecs):
+            """Callback to actually do the backprop. Passed to last listener."""
+            accumulate_gradient(one_d_tokvecs)
+            d_docs = bp_tokvecs(d_tokvecs)
+            if sgd is not None:
+                self.model.finish_update(sgd)
+            return d_docs
 
         batch_id = Tok2VecListener.get_batch_id(docs)
-        for listener in self.listeners:
-            listener.receive(batch_id, tokvecs, capture_losses)
-        if sgd is not None:
-            self.model.finish_update(sgd)
+        for listener in self.listeners[:-1]:
+            listener.receive(batch_id, tokvecs, accumulate_gradient)
+        self.listeners[-1].receive(batch_id, tokvecs, backprop)
         if set_annotations:
             self.set_annotations(docs, tokvecs)