diff --git a/icu4c/source/common/utext.cpp b/icu4c/source/common/utext.cpp
index dfc9a61da55..40266ffb860 100644
--- a/icu4c/source/common/utext.cpp
+++ b/icu4c/source/common/utext.cpp
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 /*
 *******************************************************************************
 *
-*   Copyright (C) 2005-2008, International Business Machines
+*   Copyright (C) 2005-2009, International Business Machines
 *   Corporation and others.  All Rights Reserved.
 *
 *******************************************************************************
@@ -2449,7 +2449,13 @@ ucstrTextAccess(UText *ut, int64_t index, UBool  forward) {
             if (U16_IS_LEAD(str[chunkLimit-1])) {
                 --chunkLimit;
             }
+            // Null-terminated chunk with end still unknown.
+            // Update the chunk length to reflect what has been scanned thus far.
+            // That the full length is still unknown is (still) flagged by
+            //    ut->a being < 0.
             ut->chunkNativeLimit = chunkLimit;
+            ut->nativeIndexingLimit = chunkLimit;
+            ut->chunkLength = chunkLimit;
         }
 
     }
diff --git a/icu4c/source/test/intltest/utxttest.cpp b/icu4c/source/test/intltest/utxttest.cpp
index 35564ca08ba..c61d089a5ff 100644
--- a/icu4c/source/test/intltest/utxttest.cpp
+++ b/icu4c/source/test/intltest/utxttest.cpp
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 /********************************************************************
  * COPYRIGHT: 
- * Copyright (c) 2005-2008, International Business Machines Corporation and
+ * Copyright (c) 2005-2009, International Business Machines Corporation and
  * others. All Rights Reserved.
  ********************************************************************/
 /************************************************************************
@@ -54,8 +54,10 @@ UTextTest::runIndexedTest(int32_t index, UBool exec,
             if (exec) ErrorTest();   break;
         case 2: name = "FreezeTest";
             if (exec) FreezeTest();  break;
-		case 3: name = "Ticket5560";
-			if (exec) Ticket5560();  break;
+        case 3: name = "Ticket5560";
+            if (exec) Ticket5560();  break;
+        case 4: name = "Ticket6847";
+            if (exec) Ticket6847();  break;
         default: name = "";          break;
     }
 }
@@ -1398,3 +1400,35 @@ void UTextTest::Ticket5560() {
     utext_close(&ut2);
 }
 
+
+// Test for Ticket 6847
+//
+void UTextTest::Ticket6847() {
+    const int STRLEN = 90;
+    UChar s[STRLEN];
+    u_memset(s, 0x41, STRLEN);
+
+    UErrorCode status = U_ZERO_ERROR;
+    UText *ut = utext_openUChars(NULL, s, -1, &status);
+
+    utext_setNativeIndex(ut, 0);
+    int32_t count = 0;
+    UChar32 c = 0;
+    int32_t nativeIndex = UTEXT_GETNATIVEINDEX(ut);
+    TEST_ASSERT(nativeIndex == 0);
+    while ((c = utext_next32(ut)) != U_SENTINEL) {
+        TEST_ASSERT(c == 0x41);
+        TEST_ASSERT(count < STRLEN);
+        if (count >= STRLEN) {
+            break;
+        }
+        count++;
+        nativeIndex = UTEXT_GETNATIVEINDEX(ut);
+        TEST_ASSERT(nativeIndex == count);
+    }
+    TEST_ASSERT(count == STRLEN);
+    nativeIndex = UTEXT_GETNATIVEINDEX(ut);
+    TEST_ASSERT(nativeIndex == STRLEN);
+    utext_close(ut);
+}
+
diff --git a/icu4c/source/test/intltest/utxttest.h b/icu4c/source/test/intltest/utxttest.h
index ca1e2f605eb..5e52f54d308 100644
--- a/icu4c/source/test/intltest/utxttest.h
+++ b/icu4c/source/test/intltest/utxttest.h
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 /********************************************************************
  * COPYRIGHT: 
- * Copyright (c) 2005-2007, International Business Machines Corporation and
+ * Copyright (c) 2005-2009, International Business Machines Corporation and
  * others. All Rights Reserved.
  ********************************************************************/
 /************************************************************************
@@ -31,7 +31,8 @@ public:
     void TextTest();
     void ErrorTest();
     void FreezeTest();
-	void Ticket5560();
+    void Ticket5560();
+    void Ticket6847();
 
 private:
     struct m {                              // Map between native indices & code points.
@@ -44,8 +45,8 @@ private:
     void TestAccessNoClone(const UnicodeString &us, UText *ut, int cpCount, m *cpMap);
     void TestCMR   (const UnicodeString &us, UText *ut, int cpCount, m *nativeMap, m *utf16Map);
     void TestCopyMove(const UnicodeString &us, UText *ut, UBool move,
-                    int32_t nativeStart, int32_t nativeLimit, int32_t nativeDest,
-                    int32_t u16Start, int32_t u16Limit, int32_t u16Dest);
+                      int32_t nativeStart, int32_t nativeLimit, int32_t nativeDest,
+                      int32_t u16Start, int32_t u16Limit, int32_t u16Dest);
     void TestReplace(const UnicodeString &us,  // reference UnicodeString in which to do the replace 
             UText         *ut,                 // UnicodeText object under test.
             int32_t       nativeStart,         // Range to be replaced, in UText native units.