diff --git a/icu4c/source/test/testdata/testdata.mk b/icu4c/source/test/testdata/testdata.mk
index 16248b648b..499bb1a174 100644
--- a/icu4c/source/test/testdata/testdata.mk
+++ b/icu4c/source/test/testdata/testdata.mk
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 # invoke with
 # nmake /f makedata.mak icup=<path_to_icu_instalation> [Debug|Release]
 #
-#	03/19/2001	weiv, schererm	Created
+#   03/19/2001  weiv, schererm  Created
 
 .SUFFIXES : .res .txt
 
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ ALL : "$(TESTDATAOUT)\testdata.dat"
 
 "$(TESTDATAOUT)\testdata.dat" :  "$(TESTDATAOUT)\root.res" "$(TESTDATAOUT)\te.res" "$(TESTDATAOUT)\te_IN.res" "$(TESTDATAOUT)\testtypes.res" "$(TESTDATAOUT)\testempty.res" "$(TESTDATAOUT)\empty.res" $(TESTDATAOUT)test.dat
 	@echo Building test data
- 	@"$(ICUTOOLS)\pkgdata\$(CFG)\pkgdata" -v -m common -c -p testdata -O "$(PKGOPT)" -d "$(TESTDATAOUT)" -T "$(TESTDATAOUT)" -s "$(TESTDATAOUT)" <<
+	@"$(ICUTOOLS)\pkgdata\$(CFG)\pkgdata" -v -m common -c -p testdata -O "$(PKGOPT)" -d "$(TESTDATAOUT)" -T "$(TESTDATAOUT)" -s "$(TESTDATAOUT)" <<
 root.res
 te.res
 te_IN.res
@@ -25,9 +25,11 @@ test.dat
 <<
 
 # Inference rule for creating resource bundles
+# Some test data resource bundles are known to have warnings and bad data.
+# The -q option is there on purpose, so we don't see it normally.
 {$(TESTDATA)}.txt.res:
-        @echo Making Test Resource Bundle files
-        @"$(ICUTOOLS)\genrb\$(CFG)\genrb" -s$(TESTDATA) -d$(TESTDATAOUT) $(?F)
+	@echo Making Test Resource Bundle files
+	@"$(ICUTOOLS)\genrb\$(CFG)\genrb" -q -s$(TESTDATA) -d$(TESTDATAOUT) $(?F)
 
 $(TESTDATAOUT)test.dat : {"$(ICUTOOLS)\gentest\$(CFG)"}gentest.exe
 	"$(ICUTOOLS)\gentest\$(CFG)\gentest" -d$(TESTDATAOUT)
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/icu4c/source/tools/genrb/error.c b/icu4c/source/tools/genrb/error.c
index 321c1f9b57..604ec89f5a 100644
--- a/icu4c/source/tools/genrb/error.c
+++ b/icu4c/source/tools/genrb/error.c
@@ -31,14 +31,24 @@ void error(uint32_t linenumber, const char *msg, ...)
     va_end(va);
 }
 
-void warning(uint32_t linenumber, const char *msg, ...)
-{
-    va_list va;
+static gShowWarning = TRUE;
 
-    va_start(va, msg);
-    fprintf(stderr, "%s:%d: warning: ", gCurrentFileName, linenumber);
-    vfprintf(stderr, msg, va);
-    fprintf(stderr, "\n");
-    va_end(va);
+void setShowWarning(UBool val)
+{
+    gShowWarning = val;
+}
+
+void warning(uint32_t linenumber, const char *msg, ...)
+{
+    if (gShowWarning)
+    {
+        va_list va;
+
+        va_start(va, msg);
+        fprintf(stderr, "%s:%d: warning: ", gCurrentFileName, linenumber);
+        vfprintf(stderr, msg, va);
+        fprintf(stderr, "\n");
+        va_end(va);
+    }
 }
 
diff --git a/icu4c/source/tools/genrb/error.h b/icu4c/source/tools/genrb/error.h
index dbf8c3486e..53c0238efd 100644
--- a/icu4c/source/tools/genrb/error.h
+++ b/icu4c/source/tools/genrb/error.h
@@ -38,4 +38,7 @@ extern const char *gCurrentFileName;
 void error   (uint32_t linenumber, const char *msg, ...);
 void warning (uint32_t linenumber, const char *msg, ...);
 
+/* Show warnings? */
+void setShowWarning(UBool val);
+
 #endif
diff --git a/icu4c/source/tools/genrb/genrb.c b/icu4c/source/tools/genrb/genrb.c
index 5c4c5dc7de..5ccd4cbf02 100644
--- a/icu4c/source/tools/genrb/genrb.c
+++ b/icu4c/source/tools/genrb/genrb.c
@@ -54,7 +54,8 @@ enum
 {
     HELP1,
     HELP2,
-    VERBOSE,
+/*    VERBOSE, */
+    QUIET,
     VERSION,
     SOURCEDIR,
     DESTDIR,
@@ -65,7 +66,8 @@ enum
 UOption options[]={
                       UOPTION_HELP_H,
                       UOPTION_HELP_QUESTION_MARK,
-                      UOPTION_VERBOSE,
+/*                      UOPTION_VERBOSE, */
+                      UOPTION_QUIET,
                       UOPTION_VERSION,
                       UOPTION_SOURCEDIR,
                       UOPTION_DESTDIR,
@@ -86,7 +88,7 @@ main(int argc,
     const char *outputDir = NULL; /* NULL = no output directory, use current */
     const char *inputDir  = NULL;
     const char *encoding  = "";
-    UBool       verbose;
+/*    UBool       verbose; */
     int         i;
 
 #ifdef XP_MAC_CONSOLE
@@ -116,22 +118,27 @@ main(int argc,
                 "Usage: %s [OPTIONS] [FILES]\n"
                 "\treads the list of resource bundle source files and creates\n"
                 "\tbinary version of reosurce bundles (.res files)\n"
-                "\tOptions:\n"
-                "\t\t-h, -? or --help     this usage text\n"
-                "\t\t-V or --version      prints out version number and exits\n"
-                "\t\t-d of --destdir      destination directory, followed by the path, defaults to %s\n"
-                "\t\t-v or --verbose      be verbose\n"
-                "\t\t-e or --encoding     encoding of source files, leave empty for system default encoding\n"
-                "\t\t                     NOTE: ICU must be completely built to use this option\n"
-                "\t\t-s or --sourcedir    source directory for files followed by path, defaults to %s\n"
-                "\t\t-i or --icudatadir   directory for locating any needed intermediate data files,\n"
-                "\t\t                     followed by path, defaults to %s\n",
+                "Options:\n"
+                "\t-h, -? or --help     this usage text\n"
+                "\t-V or --version      prints out version number and exits\n"
+                "\t-d of --destdir      destination directory, followed by the path, defaults to %s\n"
+/*                "\t-v or --verbose      be verbose\n"*/
+                "\t-q or --quiet        do not display warnings\n"
+                "\t-e or --encoding     encoding of source files, leave empty for system default encoding\n"
+                "\t                     NOTE: ICU must be completely built to use this option\n"
+                "\t-s or --sourcedir    source directory for files followed by path, defaults to %s\n"
+                "\t-i or --icudatadir   directory for locating any needed intermediate data files,\n"
+                "\t                     followed by path, defaults to %s\n",
                 argv[0], u_getDataDirectory(), u_getDataDirectory(),u_getDataDirectory());
         return argc < 0 ? U_ILLEGAL_ARGUMENT_ERROR : U_ZERO_ERROR;
     }
 
-    if(options[VERBOSE].doesOccur) {
+/*    if(options[VERBOSE].doesOccur) {
         verbose = TRUE;
+    }*/
+
+    if(options[QUIET].doesOccur) {
+        setShowWarning(FALSE);
     }
 
     if(options[SOURCEDIR].doesOccur) {