diff --git a/spacy/cli/download.py b/spacy/cli/download.py
index b6e5549da..675ae8cee 100644
--- a/spacy/cli/download.py
+++ b/spacy/cli/download.py
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ import subprocess
 import sys
 
 from .link import link
-from ..util import prints
+from ..util import prints, get_package_path
 from .. import about
 
 
@@ -32,7 +32,11 @@ def download(cmd, model, direct=False):
         version = get_version(model_name, compatibility)
         download_model('{m}-{v}/{m}-{v}.tar.gz'.format(m=model_name, v=version))
         try:
-            link(None, model_name, model, force=True)
+            # Get package path here because link uses
+            # pip.get_installed_distributions() to check if model is a package,
+            # which fails if model was just installed via subprocess
+            package_path = get_package_path(model_name)
+            link(None, model_name, model, force=True, model_path=package_path)
         except:
             # Dirty, but since spacy.download and the auto-linking is mostly
             # a convenience wrapper, it's best to show a success message and
diff --git a/spacy/cli/link.py b/spacy/cli/link.py
index a8ee01565..712a05aee 100644
--- a/spacy/cli/link.py
+++ b/spacy/cli/link.py
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ from .. import util
     link_name=("name of shortuct link to create", "positional", None, str),
     force=("force overwriting of existing link", "flag", "f", bool)
 )
-def link(cmd, origin, link_name, force=False):
+def link(cmd, origin, link_name, force=False, model_path=None):
     """
     Create a symlink for models within the spacy/data directory. Accepts
     either the name of a pip package, or the local path to the model data
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ def link(cmd, origin, link_name, force=False):
     if util.is_package(origin):
         model_path = util.get_package_path(origin)
     else:
-        model_path = Path(origin)
+        model_path = Path(origin) if model_path is None else Path(model_path)
     if not model_path.exists():
         prints("The data should be located in %s" % path2str(model_path),
                title="Can't locate model data", exits=1)