diff --git a/icu4j/src/com/ibm/icu/dev/test/util/ICUServiceTest.java b/icu4j/src/com/ibm/icu/dev/test/util/ICUServiceTest.java
index a6f1777268c..02d31c1aa25 100644
--- a/icu4j/src/com/ibm/icu/dev/test/util/ICUServiceTest.java
+++ b/icu4j/src/com/ibm/icu/dev/test/util/ICUServiceTest.java
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 /**
  *******************************************************************************
- * Copyright (C) 2001-2004, International Business Machines Corporation and    *
+ * Copyright (C) 2001-2005, International Business Machines Corporation and    *
  * others. All Rights Reserved.                                                *
  *******************************************************************************
  */
@@ -427,7 +427,7 @@ public class ICUServiceTest extends TestFmwk
             logln("display names in reverse order: " +
                   service.getDisplayNames(ULocale.US, new Comparator() {
                           public int compare(Object lhs, Object rhs) {
-                              return -String.CASE_INSENSITIVE_ORDER.compare(lhs, rhs);
+                              return -String.CASE_INSENSITIVE_ORDER.compare((String)lhs, (String)rhs);
                           }
                       }));
         }
@@ -776,7 +776,7 @@ public class ICUServiceTest extends TestFmwk
             SortedMap map = service.getDisplayNames(ULocale.US,
                             new Comparator() {
                                 public int compare(Object lhs, Object rhs) {
-                                return -String.CASE_INSENSITIVE_ORDER.compare(lhs, rhs);
+                                return -String.CASE_INSENSITIVE_ORDER.compare((String)lhs, (String)rhs);
                                 }
                             },
                             "es");
diff --git a/icu4j/src/com/ibm/icu/util/ULocale.java b/icu4j/src/com/ibm/icu/util/ULocale.java
index 996091b67e8..27cff40bb81 100644
--- a/icu4j/src/com/ibm/icu/util/ULocale.java
+++ b/icu4j/src/com/ibm/icu/util/ULocale.java
@@ -1728,7 +1728,7 @@ public final class ULocale implements Serializable {
         private Comparator getKeyComparator() {
             final Comparator comp = new Comparator() {
                     public int compare(Object lhs, Object rhs) {
-                        return ((String)lhs).compareTo(rhs);
+                        return ((String)lhs).compareTo((String)rhs);
                     }
                 };
             return comp;