diff --git a/icu4j/main/shared/data/security.policy b/icu4j/main/shared/data/security.policy
index 74c20e7eb58..05a44915e41 100644
--- a/icu4j/main/shared/data/security.policy
+++ b/icu4j/main/shared/data/security.policy
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 //#
 //#*******************************************************************************
-//#* Copyright (C) 1997-2011, International Business Machines Corporation and    *
+//#* Copyright (C) 1997-2014, International Business Machines Corporation and    *
 //#* others. All Rights Reserved.                                                *
 //#*******************************************************************************
 //#* This is the ant build file for ICU4J.  See readme.html for more information.
@@ -25,6 +25,9 @@ grant
 
     // for testing lenient decimal/group separator parsing
     permission java.util.PropertyPermission "com.ibm.icu.text.DecimalFormat.SkipExtendedSeparatorParsing", "write";
+
+    // for setting the default time zone by the test framework
+    permission java.util.PropertyPermission "user.timezone", "write";
 };
 
 // there must be a way for code in one jar file to call code in another jar
diff --git a/icu4j/main/tests/core/src/com/ibm/icu/dev/test/format/PluralRulesTest.java b/icu4j/main/tests/core/src/com/ibm/icu/dev/test/format/PluralRulesTest.java
index 1ba67997e11..486755c916a 100644
--- a/icu4j/main/tests/core/src/com/ibm/icu/dev/test/format/PluralRulesTest.java
+++ b/icu4j/main/tests/core/src/com/ibm/icu/dev/test/format/PluralRulesTest.java
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 /*
  *******************************************************************************
- * Copyright (C) 2007-2013, International Business Machines Corporation and
+ * Copyright (C) 2007-2014, International Business Machines Corporation and
  * others. All Rights Reserved.
  *******************************************************************************
  */
@@ -52,8 +52,6 @@ import com.ibm.icu.util.ULocale;
  */
 public class PluralRulesTest extends TestFmwk {
 
-    static boolean USE_ALT = System.getProperty("alt_plurals") != null;
-
     PluralRulesFactory factory = PluralRulesFactory.NORMAL;
 
     public static void main(String[] args) throws Exception {