diff --git a/icu4c/source/common/rbbi.cpp b/icu4c/source/common/rbbi.cpp
index d21dd29c09..24f1f89d20 100644
--- a/icu4c/source/common/rbbi.cpp
+++ b/icu4c/source/common/rbbi.cpp
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ UOBJECT_DEFINE_RTTI_IMPLEMENTATION(RuleBasedBreakIterator)
  * tables object that is passed in as a parameter.
  */
 RuleBasedBreakIterator::RuleBasedBreakIterator(RBBIDataHeader* data, UErrorCode &status)
- : fText(UTEXT_INITIALIZER), fSCharIter(UnicodeString())
+ : fSCharIter(UnicodeString())
 {
     init(status);
     fData = new RBBIDataWrapper(data, status); // status checked in constructor
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ RuleBasedBreakIterator::RuleBasedBreakIterator(RBBIDataHeader* data, UErrorCode
 RuleBasedBreakIterator::RuleBasedBreakIterator(const uint8_t *compiledRules,
                        uint32_t       ruleLength,
                        UErrorCode     &status)
- : fText(UTEXT_INITIALIZER), fSCharIter(UnicodeString())
+ : fSCharIter(UnicodeString())
 {
     init(status);
     if (U_FAILURE(status)) {
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ RuleBasedBreakIterator::RuleBasedBreakIterator(const uint8_t *compiledRules,
 //
 //-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 RuleBasedBreakIterator::RuleBasedBreakIterator(UDataMemory* udm, UErrorCode &status)
- : fText(UTEXT_INITIALIZER), fSCharIter(UnicodeString())
+ : fSCharIter(UnicodeString())
 {
     init(status);
     fData = new RBBIDataWrapper(udm, status); // status checked in constructor
@@ -135,7 +135,7 @@ RuleBasedBreakIterator::RuleBasedBreakIterator(UDataMemory* udm, UErrorCode &sta
 RuleBasedBreakIterator::RuleBasedBreakIterator( const UnicodeString  &rules,
                                                 UParseError          &parseError,
                                                 UErrorCode           &status)
- : fText(UTEXT_INITIALIZER), fSCharIter(UnicodeString())
+ : fSCharIter(UnicodeString())
 {
     init(status);
     if (U_FAILURE(status)) {return;}
@@ -159,7 +159,7 @@ RuleBasedBreakIterator::RuleBasedBreakIterator( const UnicodeString  &rules,
 //                           of rules.
 //-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 RuleBasedBreakIterator::RuleBasedBreakIterator()
- : fText(UTEXT_INITIALIZER), fSCharIter(UnicodeString())
+ : fSCharIter(UnicodeString())
 {
     UErrorCode status = U_ZERO_ERROR;
     init(status);
@@ -174,7 +174,7 @@ RuleBasedBreakIterator::RuleBasedBreakIterator()
 //-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 RuleBasedBreakIterator::RuleBasedBreakIterator(const RuleBasedBreakIterator& other)
 : BreakIterator(other),
-  fText(UTEXT_INITIALIZER), fSCharIter(UnicodeString())
+  fSCharIter(UnicodeString())
 {
     UErrorCode status = U_ZERO_ERROR;
     this->init(status);
@@ -277,6 +277,7 @@ RuleBasedBreakIterator::operator=(const RuleBasedBreakIterator& that) {
 //
 //-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 void RuleBasedBreakIterator::init(UErrorCode &status) {
+    fText                 = UTEXT_INITIALIZER;
     fCharIter             = NULL;
     fData                 = NULL;
     fPosition             = 0;