diff --git a/icu4c/source/i18n/choicfmt.cpp b/icu4c/source/i18n/choicfmt.cpp
index cdae34770e..2525d40ae9 100644
--- a/icu4c/source/i18n/choicfmt.cpp
+++ b/icu4c/source/i18n/choicfmt.cpp
@@ -132,7 +132,6 @@ UBool
 ChoiceFormat::operator==(const Format& that) const
 {
     if (this == &that) return TRUE;
-    if (this->getDynamicClassID() != that.getDynamicClassID()) return FALSE;  // not the same class
     if (!NumberFormat::operator==(that)) return FALSE;
     ChoiceFormat& thatAlias = (ChoiceFormat&)that;
     if (fCount != thatAlias.fCount) return FALSE;
diff --git a/icu4c/source/i18n/datefmt.cpp b/icu4c/source/i18n/datefmt.cpp
index 0a216916b9..4dc0ce8ca9 100644
--- a/icu4c/source/i18n/datefmt.cpp
+++ b/icu4c/source/i18n/datefmt.cpp
@@ -90,14 +90,13 @@ DateFormat::operator==(const Format& other) const
     // which have confirmed that the other object being compared against is
     // an instance of a sublcass of DateFormat.  THIS IS IMPORTANT.
 
-    // We only dereference this pointer after we have confirmed below that
-    // 'other' is a DateFormat subclass.
+    // Format::operator== guarantees that this cast is safe
     DateFormat* fmt = (DateFormat*)&other;
 
     return (this == fmt) ||
-        ((getDynamicClassID() == other.getDynamicClassID()) &&
+        (Format::operator==(other) &&
          fCalendar&&(fCalendar->isEquivalentTo(*fmt->fCalendar)) &&
-         (fNumberFormat&&(*fNumberFormat == *fmt->fNumberFormat)) );
+         (fNumberFormat && *fNumberFormat == *fmt->fNumberFormat));
 }
 
 //----------------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/icu4c/source/i18n/format.cpp b/icu4c/source/i18n/format.cpp
index 5e1615f528..78debaef21 100644
--- a/icu4c/source/i18n/format.cpp
+++ b/icu4c/source/i18n/format.cpp
@@ -132,10 +132,10 @@ Format::parseObject(const UnicodeString& source,
 // -------------------------------------
 
 UBool
-Format::operator==(const Format& /*that*/) const
+Format::operator==(const Format& that) const
 {
-    // Add this implementation to make linker happy.
-    return TRUE;
+    // Subclasses: Call this method and then add more specific checks.
+    return getDynamicClassID() == that.getDynamicClassID();
 }
 //---------------------------------------
 
diff --git a/icu4c/source/i18n/msgfmt.cpp b/icu4c/source/i18n/msgfmt.cpp
index 55db180891..a97971352e 100644
--- a/icu4c/source/i18n/msgfmt.cpp
+++ b/icu4c/source/i18n/msgfmt.cpp
@@ -392,7 +392,6 @@ MessageFormat::operator==(const Format& rhs) const
 
     // Check class ID before checking MessageFormat members
     if (!Format::operator==(rhs) ||
-        getDynamicClassID() != that.getDynamicClassID() ||
         fPattern != that.fPattern ||
         fLocale != that.fLocale) {
         return FALSE;
diff --git a/icu4c/source/i18n/smpdtfmt.cpp b/icu4c/source/i18n/smpdtfmt.cpp
index bbaeb72dba..1c11e22efe 100644
--- a/icu4c/source/i18n/smpdtfmt.cpp
+++ b/icu4c/source/i18n/smpdtfmt.cpp
@@ -249,9 +249,8 @@ SimpleDateFormat::clone() const
 UBool
 SimpleDateFormat::operator==(const Format& other) const
 {
-    if (DateFormat::operator==(other) &&
-        other.getDynamicClassID() == getStaticClassID())
-    {
+    if (DateFormat::operator==(other)) {
+        // DateFormat::operator== guarantees following cast is safe
         SimpleDateFormat* that = (SimpleDateFormat*)&other;
         return     (fPattern             == that->fPattern &&
                 fSymbols             != NULL && // Check for pathological object