diff --git a/icu4c/source/common/putil.cpp b/icu4c/source/common/putil.cpp
index 6e5468fe0b..532a0903cd 100644
--- a/icu4c/source/common/putil.cpp
+++ b/icu4c/source/common/putil.cpp
@@ -1307,9 +1307,9 @@ uprv_pathIsAbsolute(const char *path)
   return FALSE;
 }
 
-/* Temporary backup setting of ICU_DATA_DIR_PREFIX_ENV_VAR
-   until some client wrapper makefiles are updated */
-#if U_PLATFORM_IS_DARWIN_BASED && TARGET_IPHONE_SIMULATOR
+/* Backup setting of ICU_DATA_DIR_PREFIX_ENV_VAR
+   (needed for some Darwin ICU build environments) */
+#if U_PLATFORM_IS_DARWIN_BASED && TARGET_OS_SIMULATOR
 # if !defined(ICU_DATA_DIR_PREFIX_ENV_VAR)
 #  define ICU_DATA_DIR_PREFIX_ENV_VAR "IPHONE_SIMULATOR_ROOT"
 # endif