diff --git a/icu4c/source/extra/uconv/Makefile.in b/icu4c/source/extra/uconv/Makefile.in
index ba419eb3290..c7b1b00bc66 100644
--- a/icu4c/source/extra/uconv/Makefile.in
+++ b/icu4c/source/extra/uconv/Makefile.in
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ UCONVMSG_LIB=dummy
 ## Static mode
 ifeq ($(UCONVMSG_MODE),static)
 DEFS += -DUCONVMSG_LINK=$(MSGNAME)
-UCONVMSG_LIB = $(RESDIR)/lib$(MSGNAME).$(A)
+UCONVMSG_LIB = $(RESDIR)/$(LIBPREFIX)$(MSGNAME).$(A)
 LIBS += $(UCONVMSG_LIB)
 PKGMODE=static
 INSTALLTO=$(libdir)
diff --git a/icu4c/source/icudefs.mk.in b/icu4c/source/icudefs.mk.in
index 1bffbb4e9bf..28701e95ee7 100644
--- a/icu4c/source/icudefs.mk.in
+++ b/icu4c/source/icudefs.mk.in
@@ -150,11 +150,12 @@ MIDDLE_SO_TARGET = $(SO_TARGET).$(SO_TARGET_VERSION_MAJOR)
 ##  How ICU libraries are named...  ex. $(LIBICU)uc$(SO)
 # Prefix for the ICU library names
 ICUPREFIX = icu
-LIBICU = lib$(ICUPREFIX)
+LIBPREFIX = lib
+LIBICU = $(LIBPREFIX)$(ICUPREFIX)
 
 # Static library prefix and file extension
 STATIC_PREFIX = s
-LIBSICU = lib$(STATIC_PREFIX)$(ICUPREFIX)
+LIBSICU = $(LIBPREFIX)$(STATIC_PREFIX)$(ICUPREFIX)
 A = a
 
 # Force removal [for make clean]