diff --git a/icu4c/source/config/Makefile.inc.in b/icu4c/source/config/Makefile.inc.in
index 83da082ab27e..22e04193a438 100644
--- a/icu4c/source/config/Makefile.inc.in
+++ b/icu4c/source/config/Makefile.inc.in
@@ -125,10 +125,10 @@ ICULIBS_COMMON_LIB_NAME_A = ${LIBICU}${COMMON_STUBNAME}${ICULIBSUFFIX}.${A}
 ICULIBS = $(ICULIBS_BASE) $(ICULIBS_I18N) $(ICULIBS_COMMON) $(ICULIBS_DATA) 
 
 # Proper echo newline handling is needed in icu-config
-ECHO_N=@ICU_ECHO_N@
-ECHO_C=@ICU_ECHO_C@
+ECHO_N=@ECHO_N@
+ECHO_C=@ECHO_C@
 # Not currently being used but good to have for proper tab handling
-ECHO_T=@ICU_ECHO_T@
+ECHO_T=@ECHO_T@
 
 ##################################################################
 ##################################################################
diff --git a/icu4c/source/configure.ac b/icu4c/source/configure.ac
index 033cab2ecc29..18dc4ce3f907 100644
--- a/icu4c/source/configure.ac
+++ b/icu4c/source/configure.ac
@@ -26,24 +26,6 @@ AC_CONFIG_SRCDIR([common/unicode/utypes.h])
 PACKAGE="icu"
 AC_SUBST(PACKAGE)
 
-# Use custom echo test for newline option
-# Current autoconf (2.65) gives incorrect echo newline option
-# for icu-config
-# This may be removed later - mow (June 17, 2010)
-ICU_ECHO_C= ICU_ECHO_N= ICU_ECHO_T=
-case `/bin/sh -c "echo -n x"` in
--n*)
-  case `/bin/sh -c "echo 'x\c'"` in
-  *c*) ICU_ECHO_T=' ';;     # ECHO_T is single tab character.
-  *)   ICU_ECHO_C='\c';;
-  esac;;
-*)
-  ICU_ECHO_N='-n';;
-esac
-AC_SUBST(ICU_ECHO_N)
-AC_SUBST(ICU_ECHO_C)
-AC_SUBST(ICU_ECHO_T)
-
 AC_MSG_CHECKING(for ICU version numbers)
 
 # Get the ICU version from uversion.h or other headers
diff --git a/icu4c/source/icudefs.mk.in b/icu4c/source/icudefs.mk.in
index 61b537097e5d..251e020903e5 100644
--- a/icu4c/source/icudefs.mk.in
+++ b/icu4c/source/icudefs.mk.in
@@ -161,11 +161,6 @@ LDFLAGS = @LDFLAGS@ $(RPATHLDFLAGS)
 ENABLE_STATIC = @ENABLE_STATIC@
 ENABLE_SHARED = @ENABLE_SHARED@
 
-# Echo w/o newline
-
-#ECHO_N = @ICU_ECHO_N@
-#ECHO_C = @ICU_ECHO_C@
-
 # Commands to compile
 COMPILE.c=    $(CC) $(CPPFLAGS) $(DEFS) $(CFLAGS) -c
 COMPILE.cc=   $(CXX) $(CPPFLAGS) $(DEFS) $(CXXFLAGS) -c