diff --git a/icu4c/source/extra/uconv/Makefile.in b/icu4c/source/extra/uconv/Makefile.in
index 244e6cf9243..6521d7a1c29 100644
--- a/icu4c/source/extra/uconv/Makefile.in
+++ b/icu4c/source/extra/uconv/Makefile.in
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ MSGNAME=uconvmsg
 include @platform_make_fragment@
 
 # RESSRC comes from resfiles.mk
+FILESEPCHAR=/
 include $(srcdir)/resfiles.mk
 
 RESDIR=$(MSGNAME)
diff --git a/icu4c/source/extra/uconv/makedata.mak b/icu4c/source/extra/uconv/makedata.mak
index 908c1be33ad..3a07f2e3b55 100644
--- a/icu4c/source/extra/uconv/makedata.mak
+++ b/icu4c/source/extra/uconv/makedata.mak
@@ -69,8 +69,9 @@ PATH = $(PATH);$(ICUP)\bin
 # Suffixes for data files
 .SUFFIXES : .ucm .cnv .dll .dat .res .txt .c
 
-# We're including a list of ucm files. There are two lists, one is essential 'ucmfiles.mk' and
-# the other is optional 'ucmlocal.mk'
+# We're including a list of resource files.
+FILESEPCHAR=\
+
 !IF EXISTS("$(RESFILES)")
 !INCLUDE "$(RESFILES)"
 !ELSE
diff --git a/icu4c/source/extra/uconv/resfiles.mk b/icu4c/source/extra/uconv/resfiles.mk
index d0a7ce03dea..1e83ff6af4f 100644
--- a/icu4c/source/extra/uconv/resfiles.mk
+++ b/icu4c/source/extra/uconv/resfiles.mk
@@ -1,6 +1,9 @@
-# Copyright (c) 2000 IBM, Inc. and Others.
+# Copyright (c) 2000-2002 IBM, Inc. and Others.
 # A small makefile containing the list of resource bundles 
 # to include in uconv.
 
+# The variable FILESEPCHAR is defined by the caller to be
+# the character separating components of a filename.
+
 RESOURCESDIR = resources
-RESSRC = $(RESOURCESDIR)/root.txt $(RESOURCESDIR)/fr.txt
+RESSRC = $(RESOURCESDIR)$(FILESEPCHAR)root.txt $(RESOURCESDIR)$(FILESEPCHAR)fr.txt