diff --git a/icu4c/source/tools/gencnval/gencnval.c b/icu4c/source/tools/gencnval/gencnval.c
index 8f734f8359c..fa7bf5a5c21 100644
--- a/icu4c/source/tools/gencnval/gencnval.c
+++ b/icu4c/source/tools/gencnval/gencnval.c
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ compareConverters(const void *converter1, const void *converter2);
 extern int
 main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
     char line[512];
-    const char *path, *arg;
+    const char *path, *arg, *convfile = 0;
     FileStream *in;
     UNewDataMemory *out;
     char *s;
@@ -119,16 +119,24 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
                 exit(-1);
                 break;
             }
-        }
+        } else if (!convfile) {
+	    convfile = arg;
+	} else {
+	   usage(argv[0]);
+ 	}
     }
 
-    path=u_getDataDirectory();
-    if(path!=NULL) {
-        uprv_strcpy(line, path);
-        uprv_strcat(line, "convrtrs.txt");
-        path=line;
+    if (convfile) {
+	path = convfile;
     } else {
-        path="convrtrs.txt";
+        path=u_getDataDirectory();
+        if(path!=NULL) {
+            uprv_strcpy(line, path);
+            uprv_strcat(line, "convrtrs.txt");
+            path=line;
+        } else {
+            path="convrtrs.txt";
+        }
     }
     in=T_FileStream_open(path, "r");
     if(in==NULL) {
@@ -199,7 +207,7 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
 static void
 usage(char *progname) {
     fprintf(stderr,
-        "usage: %s [-c[+|-]]\n"
+        "usage: %s [-c[+|-]] [convrtrs.txt]\n"
         "\tread convrtrs.txt and create " DATA_NAME "." DATA_TYPE "\n"
         "\t\t-c[+|-]  do (not) include a copyright notice\n",
         progname);