diff --git a/ovos_core/intent_services/__init__.py b/ovos_core/intent_services/__init__.py
index a22c518b333..bdb309ac5d4 100644
--- a/ovos_core/intent_services/__init__.py
+++ b/ovos_core/intent_services/__init__.py
@@ -15,14 +15,16 @@
 from collections import defaultdict
 from typing import Tuple, Callable, Union
 
-from ocp_pipeline.opm import OCPPipelineMatcher
 from ovos_adapt.opm import AdaptPipeline
+from ovos_commonqa.opm import CommonQAService
+from padacioso.opm import PadaciosoPipeline as PadaciosoService
+
+from ocp_pipeline.opm import OCPPipelineMatcher
 from ovos_bus_client.message import Message
 from ovos_bus_client.session import SessionManager
 from ovos_bus_client.util import get_message_lang
-from ovos_commonqa.opm import CommonQAService
 from ovos_config.config import Configuration
-from ovos_config.locale import setup_locale, get_valid_languages
+from ovos_config.locale import get_valid_languages
 from ovos_core.intent_services.converse_service import ConverseService
 from ovos_core.intent_services.fallback_service import FallbackService
 from ovos_core.intent_services.stop_service import StopService
@@ -31,7 +33,6 @@
 from ovos_utils.lang import standardize_lang_tag
 from ovos_utils.log import LOG, log_deprecation, deprecated
 from ovos_utils.metrics import Stopwatch
-from padacioso.opm import PadaciosoPipeline as PadaciosoService
 
 
 class IntentService:
@@ -96,7 +97,14 @@ def _load_pipeline_plugins(self):
         except ImportError:
             LOG.error(f'Failed to create padatious intent handlers, padatious not installed')
 
-        self._padacioso_service = PadaciosoService(self.bus, self.config["padatious"])
+        # by default only load padacioso is padatious is not available
+        # save memory if padacioso isnt needed
+        disable_padacioso = self.config.get("disable_padacioso", self._padatious_service is not None)
+        if not disable_padacioso:
+            self._padacioso_service = PadaciosoService(self.bus, self.config["padatious"])
+        elif "disable_padacioso" not in self.config:
+            LOG.debug("Padacioso pipeline is disabled, only padatious is loaded. "
+                      "set 'disable_padacioso': false in mycroft.conf if you want it to load alongside padatious")
         self._fallback = FallbackService(self.bus)
         self._converse = ConverseService(self.bus)
         self._common_qa = CommonQAService(self.bus, self.config.get("common_query"))
@@ -168,11 +176,13 @@ def get_pipeline(self, skips=None, session=None) -> Tuple[str, Callable]:
 
         # Create matchers
         # TODO - from plugins
+        padatious_matcher = None
         if self._padatious_service is None:
-            if any("padatious" in p for p in session.pipeline):
-                LOG.warning("padatious is not available! using padacioso in it's place, "
-                            "intent matching will be extremely slow in comparison")
-            padatious_matcher = self._padacioso_service
+            if self._padacioso_service is not None:
+                if any("padatious" in p for p in session.pipeline):
+                    LOG.warning("padatious is not available! using padacioso in it's place, "
+                                "intent matching will be extremely slow in comparison")
+                padatious_matcher = self._padacioso_service
         else:
             padatious_matcher = self._padatious_service
 
@@ -181,20 +191,28 @@ def get_pipeline(self, skips=None, session=None) -> Tuple[str, Callable]:
             "stop_high": self._stop.match_stop_high,
             "stop_medium": self._stop.match_stop_medium,
             "stop_low": self._stop.match_stop_low,
-            "padatious_high": padatious_matcher.match_high,
-            "padacioso_high": self._padacioso_service.match_high,
             "adapt_high": self._adapt_service.match_high,
             "common_qa": self._common_qa.match,
             "fallback_high": self._fallback.high_prio,
-            "padatious_medium": padatious_matcher.match_medium,
-            "padacioso_medium": self._padacioso_service.match_medium,
             "adapt_medium": self._adapt_service.match_medium,
             "fallback_medium": self._fallback.medium_prio,
-            "padatious_low": padatious_matcher.match_low,
-            "padacioso_low": self._padacioso_service.match_low,
             "adapt_low": self._adapt_service.match_low,
             "fallback_low": self._fallback.low_prio
         }
+        if self._padacioso_service is not None:
+            matchers.update({
+                "padacioso_high": self._padacioso_service.match_high,
+                "padacioso_medium": self._padacioso_service.match_medium,
+                "padacioso_low": self._padacioso_service.match_low,
+
+            })
+        if self._padatious_service is not None:
+            matchers.update({
+                "padatious_high": padatious_matcher.match_high,
+                "padatious_medium": padatious_matcher.match_medium,
+                "padatious_low": padatious_matcher.match_low,
+
+            })
         if self._ocp is not None:
             matchers.update({
                 "ocp_high": self._ocp.match_high,