diff --git a/spacy/en/__init__.py b/spacy/en/__init__.py
index b50e2f006..a3656a827 100644
--- a/spacy/en/__init__.py
+++ b/spacy/en/__init__.py
@@ -64,12 +64,12 @@ class English(object):
     ParserTransitionSystem = ArcEager
     EntityTransitionSystem = BiluoPushDown
 
-    def __init__(self, data_dir=''):
+    def __init__(self, data_dir='', load_vectors=True):
         if data_dir == '':
             data_dir = LOCAL_DATA_DIR
         self._data_dir = data_dir
         self.vocab = Vocab(data_dir=path.join(data_dir, 'vocab') if data_dir else None,
-                           get_lex_props=get_lex_props)
+                           get_lex_props=get_lex_props, load_vectors=load_vectors)
         tag_names = list(POS_TAGS.keys())
         tag_names.sort()
         if data_dir is None:
diff --git a/spacy/vocab.pyx b/spacy/vocab.pyx
index 188fe7069..87a6eb621 100644
--- a/spacy/vocab.pyx
+++ b/spacy/vocab.pyx
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ EMPTY_LEXEME.repvec = EMPTY_VEC
 cdef class Vocab:
     '''A map container for a language's LexemeC structs.
     '''
-    def __init__(self, data_dir=None, get_lex_props=None):
+    def __init__(self, data_dir=None, get_lex_props=None, load_vectors=True):
         self.mem = Pool()
         self._map = PreshMap(2 ** 20)
         self.strings = StringStore()
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ cdef class Vocab:
                 raise IOError("Path %s is a file, not a dir -- cannot load Vocab." % data_dir)
             self.load_lexemes(path.join(data_dir, 'strings.txt'),
                               path.join(data_dir, 'lexemes.bin'))
-            if path.exists(path.join(data_dir, 'vec.bin')):
+            if load_vectors and path.exists(path.join(data_dir, 'vec.bin')):
                 self.load_rep_vectors(path.join(data_dir, 'vec.bin'))
 
     def __len__(self):