diff --git a/icu4c/source/test/intltest/testidn.cpp b/icu4c/source/test/intltest/testidn.cpp
index aa04149137c..d006aa28855 100644
--- a/icu4c/source/test/intltest/testidn.cpp
+++ b/icu4c/source/test/intltest/testidn.cpp
@@ -187,7 +187,7 @@ caseMapLineFn(void *context,
     UBool* mapWithNorm = (UBool*) context;
 
     /* ignore First and Last entries for ranges */
-    if( *fields[1][0]=='<' &&
+    if( fields[1][0] != NULL &&  *fields[1][0]=='<' &&
         (length=(int32_t)(fields[1][1]-fields[1][0]))>=9 &&
         (0==uprv_memcmp(", First>", fields[1][1]-8, 8) || 0==uprv_memcmp(", Last>", fields[1][1]-7, 7))
     ) {
@@ -237,14 +237,15 @@ unicodeDataLineFn(void *context,
     uint32_t rangeStart=0,rangeEnd =0;
     UBool* isUnassigned = (UBool*) context;
 
-    /* ignore First and Last entries for ranges 
-    if( *fields[1][0]=='<' &&
+
+    /* ignore First and Last entries for ranges */
+    if( fields[1][0] != NULL &&  *fields[1][0]=='<' &&
         (length=(int32_t)(fields[1][1]-fields[1][0]))>=9 &&
         (0==uprv_memcmp(", First>", fields[1][1]-8, 8) || 0==uprv_memcmp(", Last>", fields[1][1]-7, 7))
     ) {
         return;
     }
-   */
+ 
 
     u_parseCodePointRange(fields[0][0], &rangeStart,&rangeEnd, pErrorCode);
     
diff --git a/icu4c/source/tools/genidna/genidna.c b/icu4c/source/tools/genidna/genidna.c
index fc1953fd02f..1ae6a0468bc 100644
--- a/icu4c/source/tools/genidna/genidna.c
+++ b/icu4c/source/tools/genidna/genidna.c
@@ -258,7 +258,7 @@ normalizationCorrectionsLineFn(void *context,
     UVersionInfo thisVersion;
 
     /* ignore First and Last entries for ranges */
-    if( *fields[1][0]=='<' &&
+    if( fields[1][0] != NULL && *fields[1][0]=='<' &&
         (length=(int32_t)(fields[1][1]-fields[1][0]))>=9 &&
         (0==uprv_memcmp(", First>", fields[1][1]-8, 8) || 0==uprv_memcmp(", Last>", fields[1][1]-7, 7))
     ) {
@@ -330,7 +330,7 @@ caseMapLineFn(void *context,
     UBool* mapWithNorm = (UBool*) context;
 
     /* ignore First and Last entries for ranges */
-    if( *fields[1][0]=='<' &&
+    if( fields[1][0] != NULL && *fields[1][0]=='<' &&
         (length=(int32_t)(fields[1][1]-fields[1][0]))>=9 &&
         (0==uprv_memcmp(", First>", fields[1][1]-8, 8) || 0==uprv_memcmp(", Last>", fields[1][1]-7, 7))
     ) {
@@ -446,7 +446,7 @@ unicodeDataLineFn(void *context,
     UBool* isUnassigned = (UBool*) context;
 
     /* ignore First and Last entries for ranges */
-    if( *fields[1][0]=='<' &&
+    if( fields[1][0] != NULL &&  *fields[1][0]=='<' &&
         (length=(int32_t)(fields[1][1]-fields[1][0]))>=9 &&
         (0==uprv_memcmp(", First>", fields[1][1]-8, 8) || 0==uprv_memcmp(", Last>", fields[1][1]-7, 7))
     ) {