diff --git a/icu4c/source/samples/layout/Makefile.in b/icu4c/source/samples/layout/Makefile.in
index 5290fc3428..b5f37ab4d2 100644
--- a/icu4c/source/samples/layout/Makefile.in
+++ b/icu4c/source/samples/layout/Makefile.in
@@ -22,19 +22,11 @@ CLEANFILES = *~ $(DEPS)
 ## Target information
 TARGET = gnomelayout
 
-DEFS = @DEFS@
-CPPFLAGS = @CPPFLAGS@ `gnome-config --cflags gnomeui` -I$(top_builddir)/common -I$(top_srcdir)/common -I$(top_srcdir)/i18n -I$(top_srcdir)/layout -I$(top_srcdir)/extra/scrptrun -I$(top_srcdir)
+CPPFLAGS += `gnome-config --cflags gnomeui` -I$(top_builddir)/common -I$(top_srcdir)/common -I$(top_srcdir)/i18n -I$(top_srcdir)/layout -I$(top_srcdir)/extra/scrptrun -I$(top_srcdir) -g
 
 # Change the following as needed to locate freetype.
 CPPFLAGS +=  -I/usr/include/freetype1
 
-CFLAGS = @CFLAGS@
-CXXFLAGS = @CXXFLAGS@
-ENABLE_RPATH = @ENABLE_RPATH@
-ifeq ($(ENABLE_RPATH),YES)
-RPATHLDFLAGS = $(LD_RPATH)$(LD_RPATH_PRE)$(libdir)
-endif
-LDFLAGS = @LDFLAGS@ $(RPATHLDFLAGS)
 LIBS = $(LIBICULE) $(LIBICUUC) $(LIBICUI18N) @LIBS@ @LIB_M@ `gnome-config --libs gnomeui` -lttf