diff --git a/icu4j/main/classes/core/src/com/ibm/icu/util/ULocale.java b/icu4j/main/classes/core/src/com/ibm/icu/util/ULocale.java
index cd6c03614b3..e9d9f999c3c 100644
--- a/icu4j/main/classes/core/src/com/ibm/icu/util/ULocale.java
+++ b/icu4j/main/classes/core/src/com/ibm/icu/util/ULocale.java
@@ -2192,15 +2192,15 @@ public final class ULocale implements Serializable {
      * Utility to fetch locale display data from resource bundle tables.
      */
     private static String getTableString(String tableName, String subtableName, String item, String displayLocaleID) {
-        if (item.length() > 0) {
-            try {
+        try {
+            if (item.length() > 0) {
                 ICUResourceBundle bundle = (ICUResourceBundle)UResourceBundle.
                   getBundleInstance(ICUResourceBundle.ICU_BASE_NAME, displayLocaleID);
                 return getTableString(tableName, subtableName, item, bundle);
-            } catch (Exception e) {
-//              System.out.println("gtsu: " + e.getMessage());
             }
-        }
+        } catch (Exception e) {
+//          System.out.println("gtsu: " + e.getMessage());
+        }        
         return item;
     }
         
diff --git a/icu4j/main/tests/core/src/com/ibm/icu/dev/test/util/ULocaleTest.java b/icu4j/main/tests/core/src/com/ibm/icu/dev/test/util/ULocaleTest.java
index 414ae8c71af..3ff01d6a0ef 100644
--- a/icu4j/main/tests/core/src/com/ibm/icu/dev/test/util/ULocaleTest.java
+++ b/icu4j/main/tests/core/src/com/ibm/icu/dev/test/util/ULocaleTest.java
@@ -3848,4 +3848,19 @@ public class ULocaleTest extends TestFmwk {
             }
         }
     }
+    
+    /*
+     * Test that if you use any locale without keyword that you will get a NULL
+     * string returned and not throw and exception.
+     */
+    public void Test4735()
+    {
+        try {
+            new ULocale("und").getDisplayKeywordValue("calendar",ULocale.GERMAN);
+            new ULocale("en").getDisplayKeywordValue("calendar",ULocale.GERMAN);
+        } catch (Exception e) {
+            errln("Unexpected exception: " + e.getMessage());
+        }  
+    }
+
 }