diff --git a/spacy/syntax/arc_eager.pyx b/spacy/syntax/arc_eager.pyx
index 960f9f2c2..6ba7ad396 100644
--- a/spacy/syntax/arc_eager.pyx
+++ b/spacy/syntax/arc_eager.pyx
@@ -513,7 +513,8 @@ cdef class ArcEager(TransitionSystem):
         keeps = [i for i, s in enumerate(states) if not s.is_final()]
         states = [states[i] for i in keeps]
         golds = [ArcEagerGold(self, states[i], examples[i]) for i in keeps]
-        n_steps = sum([len(s.buffer_length()) * 4 for s in states])
+        cdef StateClass s
+        n_steps = sum([len(s.queue) * 4 for s in states])
         return states, golds, n_steps
 
     cdef Transition lookup_transition(self, object name_or_id) except *:
diff --git a/spacy/syntax/ner.pyx b/spacy/syntax/ner.pyx
index 53d9c67de..04fbbefc1 100644
--- a/spacy/syntax/ner.pyx
+++ b/spacy/syntax/ner.pyx
@@ -145,7 +145,7 @@ cdef class BiluoPushDown(TransitionSystem):
         states = [states[i] for i in keeps]
         examples = [examples[i] for i in keeps]
         golds = [BiluoGold(self, states[i], examples[i]) for i in keeps]
-        n_steps = sum([len(s.buffer_length()) for s in states])
+        n_steps = sum([len(s.queue) for s in states])
         return states, golds, n_steps
 
     cdef Transition lookup_transition(self, object name) except *: