diff --git a/icu4c/source/common/rbbiscan.cpp b/icu4c/source/common/rbbiscan.cpp
index 6b64969f125..c82e1ea0315 100644
--- a/icu4c/source/common/rbbiscan.cpp
+++ b/icu4c/source/common/rbbiscan.cpp
@@ -1122,22 +1122,6 @@ void RBBIRuleScanner::parse() {
         return;
     }
 
-    //
-    // If there were NO user specified safe reverse rules, set up the equivalent of ".*;"
-    //
-    if (fRB->fSafeRevTree == NULL) {
-        fRB->fSafeRevTree  = pushNewNode(RBBINode::opStar);
-        RBBINode  *operand = pushNewNode(RBBINode::setRef);
-        if (U_FAILURE(*fRB->fStatus)) {
-            return;
-        }
-        findSetFor(UnicodeString(TRUE, kAny, 3), operand);
-        fRB->fSafeRevTree->fLeftChild = operand;
-        operand->fParent              = fRB->fSafeRevTree;
-        fNodeStackPtr -= 2;
-    }
-
-
     //
     // Parsing of the input RBBI rules is complete.
     // We now have a parse tree for the rule expressions
diff --git a/icu4c/source/common/unicode/rbbi.h b/icu4c/source/common/unicode/rbbi.h
index deba07a399d..843d841c253 100644
--- a/icu4c/source/common/unicode/rbbi.h
+++ b/icu4c/source/common/unicode/rbbi.h
@@ -638,16 +638,6 @@ private:
       */
     void init(UErrorCode &status);
 
-    /**
-     * Iterate backwards from an arbitrary position in the input text using the Safe Reverse rules.
-     * This locates a "Safe Position" from which the forward break rules
-     * will operate correctly. A Safe Position is not necessarily a boundary itself.
-     *
-     * @param fromPosition the position in the input text to begin the iteration.
-     * @internal
-     */
-    int32_t handlePrevious(int32_t fromPosition);
-
     /**
      * Iterate backwards from an arbitrary position in the input text using the
      * synthesized Safe Reverse rules.