diff --git a/spacy/syntax/parser.pyx b/spacy/syntax/parser.pyx
index dc157d13d..cffa96423 100644
--- a/spacy/syntax/parser.pyx
+++ b/spacy/syntax/parser.pyx
@@ -193,13 +193,11 @@ cdef class Parser:
         elif 'features' not in cfg:
             cfg['features'] = self.feature_templates
         self.model = ParserModel(self.moves.n_moves, cfg['features'],
-                                 size=2**18,
+                                 size=2**14,
                                  learn_rate=cfg.get('learn_rate', 0.001))
-        #self.model.l1_penalty = cfg.get('L1', 1e-8)
-        #self.model.learn_rate = cfg.get('learn_rate', 0.001)
+        #self.model.l1_penalty = cfg.get('L1', 0.0)
 
-        self.optimizer = SGD(NumpyOps(), cfg.get('learn_rate', 0.001),
-                             momentum=0.9)
+        self.optimizer = Adam(NumpyOps(), cfg.get('learn_rate', 0.001))
 
         self.cfg = cfg
 
@@ -337,9 +335,19 @@ cdef class Parser:
         cdef Transition action
         words = [w.text for w in tokens]
  
+        cdef int i
+        cdef double[::1] py_dropout
+        cdef double* dropout
         while not stcls.is_final():
 
             nr_feat = self.model.set_featuresC(context, features, stcls.c)
+            py_dropout = numpy.random.uniform(0., 1., nr_feat)
+            dropout = &py_dropout[0]
+            for i in range(nr_feat):
+                if dropout[i] < 0.5:
+                    features[i].value = 0
+                else:
+                    features[i].value *= 2
             self.moves.set_costs(is_valid, costs, stcls, gold)
             self.model.set_scoresC(scores, features, nr_feat)
 
@@ -347,6 +355,9 @@ cdef class Parser:
             best = arg_max_if_gold(scores, costs, nr_class)
 
             self.model.regression_lossC(d_scores, scores, costs)
+            for i in range(nr_class):
+                if not is_valid[i]:
+                    d_scores[i] = 0
             self.model.set_gradientC(d_scores, features, nr_feat) 
 
             action = self.moves.c[guess]
@@ -354,7 +365,7 @@ cdef class Parser:
             #print(scores[guess], scores[best], d_scores[guess], costs[guess],
             #    self.moves.move_name(action.move, action.label), stcls.print_state(words))
 
-            loss += scores[guess]
+            loss += abs(scores[guess] + costs[guess])
             memset(context, 0, sizeof(context))
             memset(features, 0, sizeof(features[0]) * nr_feat)
             memset(scores, 0, sizeof(scores[0]) * nr_class)
@@ -363,8 +374,7 @@ cdef class Parser:
             for i in range(nr_class):
                 is_valid[i] = 1
         #if itn % 100 == 0:
-        #    self.optimizer(self.model.model[0].ravel(),
-        #        self.model.model[1].ravel(), key=1)
+        #    self.model.finish_update(self.optimizer)
         return loss
 
     def step_through(self, Doc doc):