diff --git a/icu4c/source/common/unicode/ustring.h b/icu4c/source/common/unicode/ustring.h
index 12411ef6d9..a95cb6d83b 100644
--- a/icu4c/source/common/unicode/ustring.h
+++ b/icu4c/source/common/unicode/ustring.h
@@ -917,6 +917,20 @@ u_memrchr32(const UChar *s, UChar32 c, int32_t count);
  *        return u_strcmp(ustringVar1, ustringVar2);
  *    }
  * </pre>
+ * 
+ * Note that the macros will NOT consistently work if their argument is another
+ * #define.  The following will not work on all platforms, don't use it.
+ * 
+ * <pre>
+ *     #define GLUCK "Mr. Gluck"
+ *     U_STRING_DECL(var, GLUCK, 9)
+ *     U_STRING_INIT(var, GLUCK, 9)
+ * </pre>
+ * 
+ * Instead, use the string literal "Mr. Gluck"  as the argument to both macro
+ * calls.
+ *
+ *
  * @stable ICU 2.0
  */
 #if defined(U_DECLARE_UTF16)
diff --git a/icu4c/source/test/iotest/stream.cpp b/icu4c/source/test/iotest/stream.cpp
index ec1af875d3..b927746f90 100644
--- a/icu4c/source/test/iotest/stream.cpp
+++ b/icu4c/source/test/iotest/stream.cpp
@@ -204,17 +204,6 @@ testString(
     }
 }
 
-#define EOF_TESTCASE_1 ""
-#define EOF_TESTCASE_2 "foo"
-#define EOF_TESTCASE_3 "   "
-#define EOF_TESTCASE_4 "   bar"
-#define EOF_TESTCASE_5 "bar   "
-#define EOF_TESTCASE_6 "   bar   "
-
-#define EOF_RESULT_EXPECTED_A ""
-#define EOF_RESULT_EXPECTED_B "foo"
-#define EOF_RESULT_EXPECTED_C "unchanged"
-#define EOF_RESULT_EXPECTED_D "bar"
 
 static void U_CALLCONV TestStreamEOF(void)
 {
@@ -252,30 +241,30 @@ static void U_CALLCONV TestStreamEOF(void)
 
     log_verbose("Testing operator >> for UnicodeString...\n");
     
-    /* The test cases needs to be converted to the default codepage.  However, the stream operator needs char* so u_austrcpy is called. */
-    U_STRING_DECL(testCase1, EOF_TESTCASE_1, 0);
-    U_STRING_DECL(testCase2, EOF_TESTCASE_2, 3);
-    U_STRING_DECL(testCase3, EOF_TESTCASE_3, 3);
-    U_STRING_DECL(testCase4, EOF_TESTCASE_4, 6);
-    U_STRING_DECL(testCase5, EOF_TESTCASE_5, 6);
-    U_STRING_DECL(testCase6, EOF_TESTCASE_6, 9);
+    /* The test cases needs to be converted to the default codepage.  However, the stream operator needs char* so U_STRING_* is called. */
+    U_STRING_DECL(testCase1, "", 0);
+    U_STRING_INIT(testCase1, "", 0);
+    U_STRING_DECL(testCase2, "foo", 3);
+    U_STRING_INIT(testCase2, "foo", 3);
+    U_STRING_DECL(testCase3, "   ", 3);
+    U_STRING_INIT(testCase3, "   ", 3);
+    U_STRING_DECL(testCase4, "   bar", 6);
+    U_STRING_INIT(testCase4, "   bar", 6);
+    U_STRING_DECL(testCase5, "bar   ", 6);
+    U_STRING_INIT(testCase5, "bar   ", 6);
+    U_STRING_DECL(testCase6, "   bar   ", 9);
+    U_STRING_INIT(testCase6, "   bar   ", 9);
     
-    U_STRING_INIT(testCase1, EOF_TESTCASE_1, 0);
-    U_STRING_INIT(testCase2, EOF_TESTCASE_2, 3);
-    U_STRING_INIT(testCase3, EOF_TESTCASE_3, 3);
-    U_STRING_INIT(testCase4, EOF_TESTCASE_4, 6);
-    U_STRING_INIT(testCase5, EOF_TESTCASE_5, 6);
-    U_STRING_INIT(testCase6, EOF_TESTCASE_6, 9);
     
-    U_STRING_DECL(expectedResultA, EOF_RESULT_EXPECTED_A, 0);
-    U_STRING_DECL(expectedResultB, EOF_RESULT_EXPECTED_B, 3);
-    U_STRING_DECL(expectedResultC, EOF_RESULT_EXPECTED_C, 9);
-    U_STRING_DECL(expectedResultD, EOF_RESULT_EXPECTED_D, 3);
+    U_STRING_DECL(expectedResultA, "", 0);
+    U_STRING_INIT(expectedResultA, "", 0);
+    U_STRING_DECL(expectedResultB, "foo", 3);
+    U_STRING_INIT(expectedResultB, "foo", 3);
+    U_STRING_DECL(expectedResultC, "unchanged", 9);
+    U_STRING_INIT(expectedResultC, "unchanged", 9);
+    U_STRING_DECL(expectedResultD, "bar", 3);
+    U_STRING_INIT(expectedResultD, "bar", 3);
     
-    U_STRING_INIT(expectedResultA, EOF_RESULT_EXPECTED_A, 0);
-    U_STRING_INIT(expectedResultB, EOF_RESULT_EXPECTED_B, 3);
-    U_STRING_INIT(expectedResultC, EOF_RESULT_EXPECTED_C, 9);
-    U_STRING_INIT(expectedResultD, EOF_RESULT_EXPECTED_D, 3);
     
     UnicodeString UStr;
     UnicodeString expectedResults;