diff --git a/icu4c/source/config/mh-aix b/icu4c/source/config/mh-aix
index 8a5c36a8bea..215c4e87fc4 100644
--- a/icu4c/source/config/mh-aix
+++ b/icu4c/source/config/mh-aix
@@ -53,6 +53,9 @@ LIBICU-TOOLUTIL=-L$(top_builddir)/tools/toolutil -licu-toolutil
 %.o : $(srcdir)/%.cpp
 	$(COMPILE.cc) -o $@ $<
 
+../data/%.o : ../data/%.c
+	$(COMPILE.c) -o $@ $<
+
 ## Dependency rules
 %.d : %.u
 	@$(SHELL) -ec 'cat $<  \
diff --git a/icu4c/source/config/mh-freebsd b/icu4c/source/config/mh-freebsd
index 4ef55a0bca4..39b67329add 100644
--- a/icu4c/source/config/mh-freebsd
+++ b/icu4c/source/config/mh-freebsd
@@ -39,6 +39,9 @@ LIBICU-TOOLUTIL=-L$(top_builddir)/tools/toolutil -licu-toolutil
 %.o : $(srcdir)/%.cpp
 	$(COMPILE.cc) -o $@ $<
 
+../data/%.o : ../data/%.c
+	$(COMPILE.c) -o $@ $<
+
 ## Dependency rules
 %.d : $(srcdir)/%.c
 	@echo "Generating dependency information for $<"
diff --git a/icu4c/source/config/mh-hpux-acc b/icu4c/source/config/mh-hpux-acc
index f827fd52312..50ee2707a60 100644
--- a/icu4c/source/config/mh-hpux-acc
+++ b/icu4c/source/config/mh-hpux-acc
@@ -42,6 +42,9 @@ LIBICU-TOOLUTIL=-L$(top_builddir)/tools/toolutil -licu-toolutil
 %.o : $(srcdir)/%.cpp
 	$(COMPILE.cc) -o $@ $<
 
+../data/%.o : ../data/%.c
+	$(COMPILE.c) -o $@ $<
+
 ## Dependency rules
 %.d : $(srcdir)/%.c
 	@echo "Generating dependency information for $<"
diff --git a/icu4c/source/config/mh-hpux-cc b/icu4c/source/config/mh-hpux-cc
index a21543e6a0b..72c0fd77aa0 100644
--- a/icu4c/source/config/mh-hpux-cc
+++ b/icu4c/source/config/mh-hpux-cc
@@ -43,6 +43,9 @@ LIBICU-TOOLUTIL=-L$(top_builddir)/tools/toolutil -licu-toolutil
 %.o : $(srcdir)/%.cpp
 	$(COMPILE.cc) -o $@ $<
 
+../data/%.o : ../data/%.c
+	$(COMPILE.c) -o $@ $<
+
 ## Dependency rules
 %.d : $(srcdir)/%.c
 	@echo "Generating dependency information for $<"
diff --git a/icu4c/source/config/mh-irix b/icu4c/source/config/mh-irix
index 047c1607636..b6d43cba61e 100644
--- a/icu4c/source/config/mh-irix
+++ b/icu4c/source/config/mh-irix
@@ -49,6 +49,9 @@ LIBICU-TOOLUTIL=-L$(top_builddir)/tools/toolutil -licu-toolutil
 %.o : $(srcdir)/%.cpp
 	$(COMPILE.cc) -o $@ $<
 
+../data/%.o : ../data/%.c
+	$(COMPILE.c) -o $@ $<
+
 ## Dependency rules
 %.d : $(srcdir)/%.c
 	@echo "Generating dependency information for $<"
diff --git a/icu4c/source/config/mh-linux b/icu4c/source/config/mh-linux
index 0d19fc2e5c8..8341a726caf 100644
--- a/icu4c/source/config/mh-linux
+++ b/icu4c/source/config/mh-linux
@@ -39,6 +39,9 @@ LIBICU-TOOLUTIL=-L$(top_builddir)/tools/toolutil -licu-toolutil
 %.o : $(srcdir)/%.cpp
 	$(COMPILE.cc) -o $@ $<
 
+../data/%.o : ../data/%.c
+	$(COMPILE.c) -o $@ $<
+
 ## Dependency rules
 %.d : $(srcdir)/%.c
 	@echo "Generating dependency information for $<"
diff --git a/icu4c/source/config/mh-os390 b/icu4c/source/config/mh-os390
index 6310822e4fa..97494021b2b 100644
--- a/icu4c/source/config/mh-os390
+++ b/icu4c/source/config/mh-os390
@@ -94,6 +94,8 @@ LIBICU-TOOLUTIL=$(top_builddir)/tools/toolutil/libicu-toolutil.x
 %.o :$(srcdir)/%.cpp
 	$(COMPILE.cc) -o $@ $<
 
+../data/%.o : ../data/%.c
+	$(COMPILE.c) -o $@ $<
 
 ## Dependency rules
 %.d : %.u
diff --git a/icu4c/source/config/mh-solaris b/icu4c/source/config/mh-solaris
index d78ac6ddae8..5100aa0578f 100644
--- a/icu4c/source/config/mh-solaris
+++ b/icu4c/source/config/mh-solaris
@@ -41,6 +41,9 @@ LIBICU-TOOLUTIL=-L$(top_builddir)/tools/toolutil -licu-toolutil
 %.o : $(srcdir)/%.cpp
 	$(COMPILE.cc) -o $@ $<
 
+../data/%.o : ../data/%.c
+	$(COMPILE.c) -o $@ $<
+
 ## Dependency rules
 %.d : $(srcdir)/%.c
 	@echo "Generating dependency information for $<"
diff --git a/icu4c/source/config/mh-solaris-gcc b/icu4c/source/config/mh-solaris-gcc
index 4f6a9683af9..adb95295a3c 100644
--- a/icu4c/source/config/mh-solaris-gcc
+++ b/icu4c/source/config/mh-solaris-gcc
@@ -39,6 +39,9 @@ LIBICU-TOOLUTIL=-L$(top_builddir)/tools/toolutil -licu-toolutil
 %.o : $(srcdir)/%.cpp
 	$(COMPILE.cc) -o $@ $<
 
+../data/%.o : ../data/%.c
+	$(COMPILE.c) -o $@ $<
+
 ## Dependency rules
 %.d : $(srcdir)/%.c
 	@echo "Generating dependency information for $<"