diff --git a/picocli-codegen/src/main/java/picocli/codegen/annotation/processing/AbstractCommandSpecProcessor.java b/picocli-codegen/src/main/java/picocli/codegen/annotation/processing/AbstractCommandSpecProcessor.java
index 32f8012af..741462bf6 100644
--- a/picocli-codegen/src/main/java/picocli/codegen/annotation/processing/AbstractCommandSpecProcessor.java
+++ b/picocli-codegen/src/main/java/picocli/codegen/annotation/processing/AbstractCommandSpecProcessor.java
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 import picocli.CommandLine.Command;
 import picocli.CommandLine.IFactory;
 import picocli.CommandLine.Mixin;
+import picocli.CommandLine.Model;
 import picocli.CommandLine.Model.ArgGroupSpec;
 import picocli.CommandLine.Model.CommandSpec;
 import picocli.CommandLine.Model.IAnnotatedElement;
@@ -179,7 +180,7 @@ private static String stacktrace(Exception e) {
     }
 
     private boolean tryProcess(Set<? extends TypeElement> annotations, RoundEnvironment roundEnv) {
-
+        Model.Messages.loadBundles = false;
         new AnnotationValidator(processingEnv).validateAnnotations(roundEnv);
 
         Context context = new Context();
diff --git a/src/main/java/picocli/CommandLine.java b/src/main/java/picocli/CommandLine.java
index d366723aa..f4b302339 100644
--- a/src/main/java/picocli/CommandLine.java
+++ b/src/main/java/picocli/CommandLine.java
@@ -11599,6 +11599,7 @@ public <T> T getExtension(Class<T> cls) {
          * @see CommandSpec#qualifiedName(String)
          * @since 3.6 */
         public static class Messages {
+            public static boolean loadBundles = true;
             private final CommandSpec spec;
             private final String bundleBaseName;
             private final ResourceBundle rb;
@@ -11620,7 +11621,20 @@ public Messages(CommandSpec spec, String baseName, ResourceBundle rb) {
                 }
             }
             private static ResourceBundle createBundle(String baseName) {
-                return ResourceBundle.getBundle(baseName);
+                if ( loadBundles ) {
+                    return ResourceBundle.getBundle(baseName);
+                } else {
+                    return new ResourceBundle() {
+                        @Override
+                        protected Object handleGetObject(String key) {
+                            return null;
+                        }
+                        @Override
+                        public Enumeration<String> getKeys() {
+                            return new Vector<String>().elements();
+                        }
+                    };
+                }
             }
             private static String extractName(ResourceBundle rb) {
                 try { // ResourceBundle.getBaseBundleName was introduced in Java 8