diff --git a/src/main/scala/tile/BaseTile.scala b/src/main/scala/tile/BaseTile.scala
index 4182752d77c..448050a0d50 100644
--- a/src/main/scala/tile/BaseTile.scala
+++ b/src/main/scala/tile/BaseTile.scala
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ trait HasNonDiplomaticTileParameters {
 
   // TODO make HellaCacheIO diplomatic and remove this brittle collection of hacks
   //                  Core   PTW                DTIM                    coprocessors           
-  def dcacheArbPorts = 1 + usingVM.toInt + usingDataScratchpad.toInt + p(BuildRoCC).size + tileParams.core.useVector.toInt
+  def dcacheArbPorts = 1 + usingVM.toInt + usingDataScratchpad.toInt + p(BuildRoCC).size + (tileParams.core.useVector && tileParams.core.vectorUseDCache).toInt
 
   // TODO merge with isaString in CSR.scala
   def isaDTS: String = {
diff --git a/src/main/scala/tile/Core.scala b/src/main/scala/tile/Core.scala
index f6981892dca..8c9018da50a 100644
--- a/src/main/scala/tile/Core.scala
+++ b/src/main/scala/tile/Core.scala
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ trait CoreParams {
   val useAtomicsOnlyForIO: Boolean
   val useCompressed: Boolean
   val useVector: Boolean = false
+  val vectorUseDCache: Boolean = false
   val useRVE: Boolean
   val useConditionalZero: Boolean
   val mulDiv: Option[MulDivParams]
@@ -113,7 +114,6 @@ trait HasCoreParameters extends HasTileParameters {
   if (usingVector) {
     require(isPow2(vLen), s"vLen ($vLen) must be a power of 2")
     require(eLen >= 32 && vLen % eLen == 0, s"eLen must divide vLen ($vLen) and be no less than 32")
-    require(vMemDataBits >= eLen && vLen % vMemDataBits == 0, s"vMemDataBits ($vMemDataBits) must divide vLen ($vLen) and be no less than eLen ($eLen)")
   }
 
   lazy val hartIdLen: Int = p(MaxHartIdBits)