diff --git a/icu4c/source/data/Makefile.in b/icu4c/source/data/Makefile.in
index f3ea3ac2bfc..6723c0cbbfb 100644
--- a/icu4c/source/data/Makefile.in
+++ b/icu4c/source/data/Makefile.in
@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@ CNV_FILES = $(ALL_UCM_SOURCE:%.ucm=$(BUILDDIR)/$(ICUDT)%.cnv)
 ## RES files
 include $(LOCSRCDIR)/resfiles.mk
 -include $(LOCSRCDIR)/reslocal.mk
-RES_SOURCE= $(GENRB_SOURCE) $(GENRB_ALIAS_SOURCE) $(GENRB_SOURCE_LOCAL)
+RES_SOURCE= root.txt $(GENRB_SOURCE) $(GENRB_ALIAS_SOURCE) $(GENRB_SOURCE_LOCAL)
 RES_SRC_FILES = $(RES_SOURCE:%=$(LOCSRCDIR)/%)
 INSTALLED_RB_FILES = $(GENRB_SOURCE:%.txt=%,) $(GENRB_SOURCE_LOCAL:%.txt=%,)
 GENRBOPTS=-v
diff --git a/icu4c/source/data/locales/resfiles.mk b/icu4c/source/data/locales/resfiles.mk
index 3bfcc039b43..4a7b5dc7642 100644
--- a/icu4c/source/data/locales/resfiles.mk
+++ b/icu4c/source/data/locales/resfiles.mk
@@ -19,14 +19,14 @@
 #  * To REPLACE the default list and only build with a few
 #     locale:
 #    _____________________________________________________
-#    |  GENRB_SOURCE = root.txt index.txt ar.txt ar_AE.txt
+#    |  GENRB_SOURCE = ar.txt ar_AE.txt en.txt de.txt zh.txt
 #
 #
 
 
 # This is the list of locales that are built, but not considered installed in ICU.
 # These are usually aliased locales or the root locale.
-GENRB_ALIAS_SOURCE = root.txt\
+GENRB_ALIAS_SOURCE = \
 iw.txt iw_IL.txt\
 no.txt no_NO.txt no_NO_NY.txt
 
diff --git a/icu4c/source/data/makedata.mak b/icu4c/source/data/makedata.mak
index 7189ba984aa..e9d88aaf6bd 100644
--- a/icu4c/source/data/makedata.mak
+++ b/icu4c/source/data/makedata.mak
@@ -190,10 +190,10 @@ GENRB_SOURCE=$(GENRB_SOURCE) $(GENRB_SOURCE_LOCAL)
 !ERROR ERROR: cannot find "resfiles.mk"
 !ENDIF
 
-RB_FILES = $(GENRB_ALIAS_SOURCE:.txt=.res) $(GENRB_SOURCE:.txt=.res)
+RB_FILES = root.res $(GENRB_ALIAS_SOURCE:.txt=.res) $(GENRB_SOURCE:.txt=.res)
 
 # The installed locales don't have aliased locales
-INSTALLED_RB_FILES = $(GENRB_SOURCE:.txt=,) $(GENRB_SOURCE_LOCAL:.txt=,)
+INSTALLED_RB_FILES = $(GENRB_SOURCE:.txt=,)
 
 # Read list of transliterator resource bundle files
 !IF EXISTS("$(ICUSRCDATA)\$(ICUTRNS)\trnsfiles.mk")