diff --git a/icu4c/source/config/mh-linux b/icu4c/source/config/mh-linux
index 58d76f43ab4..8f999674df0 100644
--- a/icu4c/source/config/mh-linux
+++ b/icu4c/source/config/mh-linux
@@ -20,6 +20,9 @@ THREADSCPPFLAGS = -D_REENTRANT
 LD_RPATH=	
 LD_RPATH_PRE = -Wl,-rpath,
 
+## These are the library specific LDFLAGS
+LDFLAGSICUDT=-nodefaultlibs -nostdlib
+
 ## Compiler switch to embed a library name
 # The initial tab in the next line is to prevent icu-config from reading it.
 	LD_SONAME = -Wl,-soname -Wl,$(notdir $(MIDDLE_SO_TARGET))
diff --git a/icu4c/source/data/Makefile.in b/icu4c/source/data/Makefile.in
index 461e37d814a..b86b567d2ce 100644
--- a/icu4c/source/data/Makefile.in
+++ b/icu4c/source/data/Makefile.in
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ endif
 
 top_builddir_from_tmp = $(patsubst ..%,../..%,$(top_builddir))
 CURDIR:=$(CURR_FULL_DIR)
-PKGDATA = $(BINDIR)/pkgdata $(PKGDATA_OPTS) -q -c -s $(CURDIR)/out/build/$(ICUDATA_PLATFORM_NAME) -d $(ICUPKGDATA_OUTDIR)
+PKGDATA = $(BINDIR)/pkgdata $(PKGDATA_OPTS) -q -c -s $(CURDIR)/out/build/$(ICUDATA_PLATFORM_NAME) -d $(ICUPKGDATA_OUTDIR) -M"LDFLAGS=\"$(LDFLAGS) $(LDFLAGSICUDT)\""
 
 
 # OBJDATADIR must be a short path (with ..'s) to the data.
diff --git a/icu4c/source/data/icupkg.inc.in b/icu4c/source/data/icupkg.inc.in
index dbb4c21874d..c16e7ee3d16 100644
--- a/icu4c/source/data/icupkg.inc.in
+++ b/icu4c/source/data/icupkg.inc.in
@@ -7,8 +7,6 @@
 # This Makefile is used to build the ICU's data.
 # It is included with the -O option to pkgdata.
 
-PLATFORM=@platform@
-
 top_srcdir=@top_srcdir@
 srcdir=@srcdir@
 top_builddir=..
@@ -16,11 +14,8 @@ top_builddir=..
 include $(top_builddir)/icudefs.mk
 
 CPPFLAGS+= -I$(top_builddir)/common -I$(top_srcdir)/common
-LDFLAGS=@LDFLAGS@ 
-LIBS=@LIBS@ 
 exec_prefix=@exec_prefix@
 prefix=@prefix@
-program_transform_name=@program_transform_name@
 bindir=@bindir@
 sbindir=@sbindir@
 libexecdir=@libexecdir@
@@ -33,8 +28,6 @@ includedir=@includedir@
 oldincludedir=@oldincludedir@
 infodir=@infodir@
 mandir=@mandir@
-PACKAGE=@PACKAGE@
-VERSION=@VERSION@
 
 INSTALL = @INSTALL@
 INSTALL_PROGRAM = @INSTALL_PROGRAM@
@@ -49,12 +42,9 @@ host_alias=@host_alias@
 host_cpu=@host_cpu@
 host_vendor=@host_vendor@
 host_os=@host_os@
-LIB_M=@LIB_M@
 CPP=@CPP@
 U_HAVE_INTTYPES_H=@U_HAVE_INTTYPES_H@
 U_IS_BIG_ENDIAN=@U_IS_BIG_ENDIAN@
-platform=@platform@
-
 
 ld_rpath_suf=@ld_rpath_suf@