diff --git a/icu4c/source/common/bytestream.cpp b/icu4c/source/common/bytestream.cpp
index ce7d1cbd43..d9cc94851a 100644
--- a/icu4c/source/common/bytestream.cpp
+++ b/icu4c/source/common/bytestream.cpp
@@ -26,7 +26,12 @@ void ByteSink::Flush() {}
 
 CheckedArrayByteSink::CheckedArrayByteSink(char* outbuf, int32_t capacity)
     : outbuf_(outbuf), capacity_(capacity < 0 ? 0 : capacity),
-      size_(0), appended_(0), overflowed_(false) {
+      size_(0), appended_(0), overflowed_(FALSE) {
+}
+
+CheckedArrayByteSink& CheckedArrayByteSink::Reset() {
+  size_ = appended_ = 0;
+  overflowed_ = FALSE;
 }
 
 void CheckedArrayByteSink::Append(const char* bytes, int32_t n) {
@@ -37,7 +42,7 @@ void CheckedArrayByteSink::Append(const char* bytes, int32_t n) {
   int32_t available = capacity_ - size_;
   if (n > available) {
     n = available;
-    overflowed_ = true;
+    overflowed_ = TRUE;
   }
   if (n > 0 && bytes != (outbuf_ + size_)) {
     uprv_memcpy(outbuf_ + size_, bytes, n);
diff --git a/icu4c/source/common/unicode/bytestream.h b/icu4c/source/common/unicode/bytestream.h
index 097d51489d..bbf90aa62a 100644
--- a/icu4c/source/common/unicode/bytestream.h
+++ b/icu4c/source/common/unicode/bytestream.h
@@ -148,6 +148,14 @@ public:
    * @stable ICU 4.2
    */
   CheckedArrayByteSink(char* outbuf, int32_t capacity);
+  /**
+   * Returns the sink to its original state, without modifying the buffer.
+   * Useful for reusing both the buffer and the sink for multiple streams.
+   * Resets the state to NumberOfBytesWritten()=NumberOfBytesAppended()=0
+   * and Overflowed()=FALSE.
+   * @draft ICU 4.6
+   */
+  CheckedArrayByteSink& Reset();
   /**
    * Append "bytes[0,n-1]" to this.
    * @param bytes the pointer to the bytes
@@ -199,7 +207,7 @@ private:
   const int32_t capacity_;
   int32_t size_;
   int32_t appended_;
-  bool overflowed_;
+  UBool overflowed_;
   CheckedArrayByteSink(); ///< default constructor not implemented 
   CheckedArrayByteSink(const CheckedArrayByteSink &); ///< copy constructor not implemented
   CheckedArrayByteSink &operator=(const CheckedArrayByteSink &); ///< assignment operator not implemented
diff --git a/icu4c/source/test/intltest/strtest.cpp b/icu4c/source/test/intltest/strtest.cpp
index 228482bb49..d4a53c9e83 100644
--- a/icu4c/source/test/intltest/strtest.cpp
+++ b/icu4c/source/test/intltest/strtest.cpp
@@ -443,7 +443,8 @@ StringTest::TestCheckedArrayByteSink() {
     CheckedArrayByteSink sink(buffer, (int32_t)sizeof(buffer));
     sink.Append("abc", 3);
     if(!(sink.NumberOfBytesAppended() == 3 && sink.NumberOfBytesWritten() == 3 &&
-         0 == memcmp("abc", buffer, 3) && buffer[3] == '!')
+         0 == memcmp("abc", buffer, 3) && buffer[3] == '!') &&
+         !sink.Overflowed()
     ) {
         errln("CheckedArrayByteSink did not Append() as expected");
         return;
@@ -488,6 +489,14 @@ StringTest::TestCheckedArrayByteSink() {
         errln("CheckedArrayByteSink did not Append(scratch buffer) as expected");
         return;
     }
+    sink.Reset().Append("123", 3);
+    if(!(sink.NumberOfBytesAppended() == 3 && sink.NumberOfBytesWritten() == 3 &&
+         0 == memcmp("123defghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz", buffer, (int32_t)sizeof(buffer)) &&
+         !sink.Overflowed())
+    ) {
+        errln("CheckedArrayByteSink did not Reset().Append() as expected");
+        return;
+    }
 }
 
 void