diff --git a/icu4c/source/configure b/icu4c/source/configure
index 999d5344b8..abec701e32 100755
--- a/icu4c/source/configure
+++ b/icu4c/source/configure
@@ -1405,7 +1405,7 @@ if test "${enable_threads+set}" = set; then
 		*) { echo "configure: error: bad value ${enableval} for --enable-threads" 1>&2; exit 1; } ;;
 		esac
 else
-  w	threads=true
+  threads=true
 fi
 
 
diff --git a/icu4c/source/configure.in b/icu4c/source/configure.in
index 5094598a63..0cd9761474 100644
--- a/icu4c/source/configure.in
+++ b/icu4c/source/configure.in
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ AC_ARG_ENABLE(threads,
 		no)  threads=false ;;
 		*) AC_MSG_ERROR(bad value ${enableval} for --enable-threads) ;;
 		esac], 
-w	threads=true)
+	threads=true)
 ICU_CONDITIONAL(THREADS, test "$threads" = true)
 
 ICU_USE_THREADS=0