diff --git a/icu4c/source/test/intltest/restsnew.cpp b/icu4c/source/test/intltest/restsnew.cpp
index 7687a999d31..b8bac7613e9 100644
--- a/icu4c/source/test/intltest/restsnew.cpp
+++ b/icu4c/source/test/intltest/restsnew.cpp
@@ -811,7 +811,7 @@ NewResourceBundleTest::testTag(const char* frag,
             char buf[32];
             status = U_ZERO_ERROR;
             string = kERROR;
-            char item_tag[6];
+            char item_tag[8];
             uprv_strcpy(item_tag, "tag");
             uprv_strcat(item_tag, itoa(index,buf));
             ResourceBundle tags=theBundle.get(tag, status);