diff --git a/icu4c/source/i18n/alphaindex.cpp b/icu4c/source/i18n/alphaindex.cpp
index 2f6255c7142..fadc2f42a62 100644
--- a/icu4c/source/i18n/alphaindex.cpp
+++ b/icu4c/source/i18n/alphaindex.cpp
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 /*
 *******************************************************************************
-* Copyright (C) 2009-2011, International Business Machines Corporation and    *
+* Copyright (C) 2009-2012, International Business Machines Corporation and    *
 * others. All Rights Reserved.                                                *
 *******************************************************************************
 */
@@ -218,6 +218,13 @@ void AlphabeticIndex::buildIndex(UErrorCode &status) {
         }
     }
 
+    // If we have no labels, hard-code a fallback default set of [A-Z]
+    // This case can occur with locales that don't have exemplar character data, including root.
+    // A no-labels situation will cause other problems; it needs to be avoided.
+    if (labelSet.isEmpty()) {
+        labelSet.add((UChar32)0x41, (UChar32)0x5A);
+    }
+
     // Move the set of Labels from the set into a vector, and sort
     // according to the collator.
 
diff --git a/icu4c/source/test/intltest/alphaindextst.cpp b/icu4c/source/test/intltest/alphaindextst.cpp
index eabfa4d6038..bc9286004df 100644
--- a/icu4c/source/test/intltest/alphaindextst.cpp
+++ b/icu4c/source/test/intltest/alphaindextst.cpp
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 /********************************************************************
  * COPYRIGHT:
- * Copyright (c) 2011, International Business Machines Corporation and
+ * Copyright (c) 2012, International Business Machines Corporation and
  * others. All Rights Reserved.
  ********************************************************************/
 //
@@ -43,6 +43,10 @@ void AlphabeticIndexTest::runIndexedTest( int32_t index, UBool exec, const char*
             if (exec) HackPinyinTest();
             break;
 
+        case 3: name = "TestBug9009";
+            if (exec) TestBug9009();
+            break;
+
         default: name = "";
             break; //needed to end loop
     }
@@ -416,4 +420,16 @@ void AlphabeticIndexTest::HackPinyinTest() {
     TEST_ASSERT(bucketCount > 25);
     TEST_ASSERT(filledBucketCount > 15);
 }
+
+
+void AlphabeticIndexTest::TestBug9009() {
+    UErrorCode status = U_ZERO_ERROR;
+    Locale loc("root");
+    AlphabeticIndex aindex(loc, status);
+    TEST_CHECK_STATUS; 
+    aindex.nextBucket(status);  // Crash here before bug was fixed.
+    TEST_CHECK_STATUS; 
+}
+    
+
 #endif
diff --git a/icu4c/source/test/intltest/alphaindextst.h b/icu4c/source/test/intltest/alphaindextst.h
index a9c543641a7..8c8392dd287 100644
--- a/icu4c/source/test/intltest/alphaindextst.h
+++ b/icu4c/source/test/intltest/alphaindextst.h
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 /********************************************************************
  * COPYRIGHT:
- * Copyright (c) 2011, International Business Machines Corporation and
+ * Copyright (c) 2012, International Business Machines Corporation and
  * others. All Rights Reserved.
  ********************************************************************/
 //
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ public:
     virtual void APITest();
     virtual void ManyLocalesTest();
     virtual void HackPinyinTest();
+    virtual void TestBug9009();
 };
 
 #endif