diff --git a/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/latin/makedict/DictDecoder.java b/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/latin/makedict/DictDecoder.java
index 11a3f0b3a..64638fd98 100644
--- a/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/latin/makedict/DictDecoder.java
+++ b/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/latin/makedict/DictDecoder.java
@@ -54,10 +54,13 @@ public interface DictDecoder {
      * which words from the buffer should be added. If it is null, a new dictionary is created.
      *
      * @param dict an optional dictionary to add words to, or null.
+     * @param deleteDictIfBroken a flag indicating whether this method should remove the broken
+     * dictionary or not.
      * @return the created (or merged) dictionary.
      */
     @UsedForTesting
-    public FusionDictionary readDictionaryBinary(final FusionDictionary dict)
+    public FusionDictionary readDictionaryBinary(final FusionDictionary dict,
+            final boolean deleteDictIfBroken)
             throws FileNotFoundException, IOException, UnsupportedFormatException;
 
     /**
diff --git a/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/latin/makedict/Ver3DictDecoder.java b/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/latin/makedict/Ver3DictDecoder.java
index 1a5023ef6..b98aa0f60 100644
--- a/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/latin/makedict/Ver3DictDecoder.java
+++ b/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/latin/makedict/Ver3DictDecoder.java
@@ -306,7 +306,8 @@ public class Ver3DictDecoder implements DictDecoder {
     }
 
     @Override
-    public FusionDictionary readDictionaryBinary(final FusionDictionary dict)
+    public FusionDictionary readDictionaryBinary(final FusionDictionary dict,
+            final boolean deleteDictIfBroken)
             throws FileNotFoundException, IOException, UnsupportedFormatException {
         if (mDictBuffer == null) {
             openDictBuffer();
@@ -315,13 +316,13 @@ public class Ver3DictDecoder implements DictDecoder {
             return BinaryDictDecoderUtils.readDictionaryBinary(this, dict);
         } catch (IOException e) {
             Log.e(TAG, "The dictionary " + mDictionaryBinaryFile.getName() + " is broken.", e);
-            if (!mDictionaryBinaryFile.delete()) {
+            if (deleteDictIfBroken && !mDictionaryBinaryFile.delete()) {
                 Log.e(TAG, "Failed to delete the broken dictionary.");
             }
             throw e;
         } catch (UnsupportedFormatException e) {
             Log.e(TAG, "The dictionary " + mDictionaryBinaryFile.getName() + " is broken.", e);
-            if (!mDictionaryBinaryFile.delete()) {
+            if (deleteDictIfBroken && !mDictionaryBinaryFile.delete()) {
                 Log.e(TAG, "Failed to delete the broken dictionary.");
             }
             throw e;
diff --git a/tests/src/com/android/inputmethod/latin/makedict/BinaryDictDecoderEncoderTests.java b/tests/src/com/android/inputmethod/latin/makedict/BinaryDictDecoderEncoderTests.java
index 72ec5a302..186484570 100644
--- a/tests/src/com/android/inputmethod/latin/makedict/BinaryDictDecoderEncoderTests.java
+++ b/tests/src/com/android/inputmethod/latin/makedict/BinaryDictDecoderEncoderTests.java
@@ -289,7 +289,7 @@ public class BinaryDictDecoderEncoderTests extends AndroidTestCase {
             dictDecoder.openDictBuffer();
             assertNotNull(dictDecoder.getDictBuffer());
             now = System.currentTimeMillis();
-            dict = dictDecoder.readDictionaryBinary(null);
+            dict = dictDecoder.readDictionaryBinary(null, false /* deleteDictIfBroken */);
             diff  = System.currentTimeMillis() - now;
         } catch (IOException e) {
             Log.e(TAG, "IOException while reading dictionary", e);
diff --git a/tools/dicttool/src/com/android/inputmethod/latin/dicttool/BinaryDictOffdeviceUtils.java b/tools/dicttool/src/com/android/inputmethod/latin/dicttool/BinaryDictOffdeviceUtils.java
index 465b17766..1417ca44e 100644
--- a/tools/dicttool/src/com/android/inputmethod/latin/dicttool/BinaryDictOffdeviceUtils.java
+++ b/tools/dicttool/src/com/android/inputmethod/latin/dicttool/BinaryDictOffdeviceUtils.java
@@ -192,7 +192,7 @@ public final class BinaryDictOffdeviceUtils {
                         System.out.println("Packaging : " + decodedSpec.describeChain());
                         System.out.println("Uncompressed size : " + decodedSpec.mFile.length());
                     }
-                    return dictDecoder.readDictionaryBinary(null);
+                    return dictDecoder.readDictionaryBinary(null, false /* deleteDictIfBroken */);
                 }
             }
         } catch (IOException e) {
diff --git a/tools/dicttool/src/com/android/inputmethod/latin/dicttool/DictionaryMaker.java b/tools/dicttool/src/com/android/inputmethod/latin/dicttool/DictionaryMaker.java
index 709b8196c..767c147bf 100644
--- a/tools/dicttool/src/com/android/inputmethod/latin/dicttool/DictionaryMaker.java
+++ b/tools/dicttool/src/com/android/inputmethod/latin/dicttool/DictionaryMaker.java
@@ -268,7 +268,7 @@ public class DictionaryMaker {
             throws FileNotFoundException, IOException, UnsupportedFormatException {
         final File file = new File(binaryFilename);
         final DictDecoder dictDecoder = new Ver3DictDecoder(file);
-        return dictDecoder.readDictionaryBinary(null);
+        return dictDecoder.readDictionaryBinary(null, false /* deleteDictIfBroken */);
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/tools/dicttool/tests/com/android/inputmethod/latin/dicttool/BinaryDictOffdeviceUtilsTests.java b/tools/dicttool/tests/com/android/inputmethod/latin/dicttool/BinaryDictOffdeviceUtilsTests.java
index 47e220617..6e82e37bd 100644
--- a/tools/dicttool/tests/com/android/inputmethod/latin/dicttool/BinaryDictOffdeviceUtilsTests.java
+++ b/tools/dicttool/tests/com/android/inputmethod/latin/dicttool/BinaryDictOffdeviceUtilsTests.java
@@ -71,7 +71,8 @@ public class BinaryDictOffdeviceUtilsTests extends TestCase {
         assertEquals("Wrong decode spec", 3, decodeSpec.mDecoderSpec.size());
         final DictDecoder dictDecoder = new Ver3DictDecoder(decodeSpec.mFile);
         final FusionDictionary resultDict = dictDecoder.readDictionaryBinary(
-                null /* dict : an optional dictionary to add words to, or null */);
+                null /* dict : an optional dictionary to add words to, or null */,
+                false /* deleteDictIfBroken */);
         assertEquals("Dictionary can't be read back correctly",
                 FusionDictionary.findWordInTree(resultDict.mRootNodeArray, "foo").getFrequency(),
                 TEST_FREQ);