diff --git a/tests/website/conftest.py b/tests/website/conftest.py
index ade1bae2a..35c38d845 100644
--- a/tests/website/conftest.py
+++ b/tests/website/conftest.py
@@ -1,11 +1,13 @@
 from __future__ import unicode_literals
 import pytest
+import os
 
 
 @pytest.fixture(scope='session')
 def nlp():
-    from spacy.en import English
-    return English()
+    from spacy.en import English, LOCAL_DATA_DIR
+    data_dir = os.environ.get('SPACY_DATA', LOCAL_DATA_DIR)
+    return English(data_dir=data_dir)
 
 
 @pytest.fixture()
diff --git a/tests/website/test_home.py b/tests/website/test_home.py
index 4da61becf..3f7f7ea4c 100644
--- a/tests/website/test_home.py
+++ b/tests/website/test_home.py
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 from __future__ import unicode_literals
 import pytest
 import spacy
+import os
 
 
 @pytest.fixture()
@@ -9,8 +10,9 @@ def token(doc):
 
 
 def test_load_resources_and_process_text():
-    from spacy.en import English
-    nlp = English()
+    from spacy.en import English, LOCAL_DATA_DIR
+    data_dir = os.environ.get('SPACY_DATA', LOCAL_DATA_DIR)
+    nlp = English(data_dir=data_dir)
     doc = nlp('Hello, world. Here are two sentences.')