diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index ee28d5d42..9440c2d44 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ requires = [
     "cymem>=2.0.2,<2.1.0",
     "preshed>=3.0.2,<3.1.0",
     "murmurhash>=0.28.0,<1.1.0",
-    "thinc==8.0.0a1",
+    "thinc==8.0.0a3",
     "blis>=0.4.0,<0.5.0"
 ]
 build-backend = "setuptools.build_meta"
diff --git a/requirements.txt b/requirements.txt
index 09998cdc9..73e595daf 100644
--- a/requirements.txt
+++ b/requirements.txt
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 # Our libraries
 cymem>=2.0.2,<2.1.0
 preshed>=3.0.2,<3.1.0
-thinc==8.0.0a1
+thinc==8.0.0a3
 blis>=0.4.0,<0.5.0
 ml_datasets>=0.1.1
 murmurhash>=0.28.0,<1.1.0
diff --git a/setup.cfg b/setup.cfg
index 7b3a468b6..d7d2be935 100644
--- a/setup.cfg
+++ b/setup.cfg
@@ -36,13 +36,13 @@ setup_requires =
     cymem>=2.0.2,<2.1.0
     preshed>=3.0.2,<3.1.0
     murmurhash>=0.28.0,<1.1.0
-    thinc==8.0.0a1
+    thinc==8.0.0a3
 install_requires =
     # Our libraries
     murmurhash>=0.28.0,<1.1.0
     cymem>=2.0.2,<2.1.0
     preshed>=3.0.2,<3.1.0
-    thinc==8.0.0a1
+    thinc==8.0.0a3
     blis>=0.4.0,<0.5.0
     wasabi>=0.4.0,<1.1.0
     srsly>=2.0.0,<3.0.0
diff --git a/spacy/about.py b/spacy/about.py
index 6a3c680ab..0c0a2d002 100644
--- a/spacy/about.py
+++ b/spacy/about.py
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # fmt: off
 __title__ = "spacy"
-__version__ = "3.0.0.dev3"
+__version__ = "3.0.0.dev4"
 __release__ = True
 __download_url__ = "https://github.com/explosion/spacy-models/releases/download"
 __compatibility__ = "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/explosion/spacy-models/master/compatibility.json"
diff --git a/spacy/cli/train.py b/spacy/cli/train.py
index 7eb9bbd3c..a40fdadb4 100644
--- a/spacy/cli/train.py
+++ b/spacy/cli/train.py
@@ -143,6 +143,7 @@ def train(
             )
         if vectors:
             msg.text(f"Loading vectors from model '{vectors}'")
+            _load_vectors(nlp, vectors)
 
         nlp.disable_pipes([p for p in nlp.pipe_names if p not in pipeline])
         for pipe in pipeline:
@@ -210,6 +211,7 @@ def train(
 
         if vectors:
             msg.text(f"Loading vectors from model '{vectors}'")
+            _load_vectors(nlp, vectors)
 
         for pipe in pipeline:
             # first, create the model.
diff --git a/spacy/syntax/_parser_model.pyx b/spacy/syntax/_parser_model.pyx
index e36a2a28b..4a1014a09 100644
--- a/spacy/syntax/_parser_model.pyx
+++ b/spacy/syntax/_parser_model.pyx
@@ -250,7 +250,7 @@ class ParserModel(Model):
             nI = smaller.get_dim("nI")
         with use_ops('numpy'):
             larger = Linear(nO=new_nO, nI=nI)
-            larger._init = smaller._init
+            larger.init = smaller.init
         # it could be that the model is not initialized yet, then skip this bit
         if nI:
             larger_W = larger.ops.alloc2f(new_nO, nI)