diff --git a/icu4c/source/i18n/ucol_elm.cpp b/icu4c/source/i18n/ucol_elm.cpp
index fe4a982c6f7..e81d5557133 100644
--- a/icu4c/source/i18n/ucol_elm.cpp
+++ b/icu4c/source/i18n/ucol_elm.cpp
@@ -496,9 +496,9 @@ static int uprv_uca_setMaxExpansion(uint32_t           endexpansion,
     uint8_t  *sizeshiftpos = pexpansionsize + (shiftpos - pendexpansionce);
 
     /* okay need to rearrange the array into sorted order */
-    if (shiftsize == 0 || *(pendexpansionce + pos) < endexpansion) {
-      *(pendexpansionce + pos + 1) = endexpansion;
-      *(pexpansionsize + pos + 1)  = expansionsize;
+    if (shiftsize == 0 /*|| *(pendexpansionce + pos) < endexpansion*/) { /* the commented part is actually both redundant and dangerous */
+      *(pendexpansionce + pos) = endexpansion;
+      *(pexpansionsize + pos)  = expansionsize;
     }
     else {
       uprv_memmove(shiftpos + 1, shiftpos, shiftsize * sizeof(int32_t));