diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes
index 713742eab1..ac908d3d93 100644
--- a/.gitattributes
+++ b/.gitattributes
@@ -228,6 +228,7 @@ icu4c/source/tools/tzcode/icuregions -text
 icu4j/build.properties -text
 icu4j/demos/.settings/org.eclipse.core.resources.prefs -text
 icu4j/demos/manifest.stub -text
+icu4j/eclipse-build/build-local.properties.template -text
 icu4j/eclipse-build/features.template/com.ibm.icu.base/.project -text
 icu4j/eclipse-build/features.template/com.ibm.icu.base/build.properties -text
 icu4j/eclipse-build/plugins.template/com.ibm.icu.base.tests/.classpath -text
diff --git a/icu4j/eclipse-build/build-local.properties.template b/icu4j/eclipse-build/build-local.properties.template
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..dd6acb6530
--- /dev/null
+++ b/icu4j/eclipse-build/build-local.properties.template
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+#*******************************************************************************
+#* Copyright (C) 2014, International Business Machines Corporation and         *
+#* others. All Rights Reserved.                                                *
+#*******************************************************************************
+
+#
+# Eclipse installation location
+# Specify the folder that contains eclipse.exe, for example: eclipse.home=C:/eclipse
+#
+# Note:
+#      By default, this value is set by an environment variable 'ECLIPSE_HOME'.
+#      You could uncomment below and specify the path in this file alternatively (recommended). 
+#
+#eclipse.home=
+
+#
+# Java 5 runtime jar location
+# Specify jar file path(es) including J2SE runtime classes
+#
+# Note: 
+#
+#   [Oracle JDK]   All of J2SE runtime classes are in <JRE dir>/lib/rt.jar
+#
+#   [IBM JDK]      J2SE runtime classes are in multiple jar files. To build ICU4J
+#                  plug-in, you need followings:
+#                      - <JRE dir>/lib/vm.jar
+#                      - <JRE dir>/lib/core.jar
+#                      - <JRE dir>/lib/graphics.jar
+#                      - <JRE dir>/lib/xml.jar
+#
+# For example: java.rt=C:/ibmjava5/jre/lib/vm.jar;C:/ibmjava5/jre/lib/core.jar;C:/ibmjava5/jre/lib/graphics.jar;C:/ibmjava5/jre/lib/xml.jar
+#
+java.rt=
diff --git a/icu4j/eclipse-build/build.xml b/icu4j/eclipse-build/build.xml
index b83f0a685e..a9ef2cb7c4 100644
--- a/icu4j/eclipse-build/build.xml
+++ b/icu4j/eclipse-build/build.xml
@@ -1,13 +1,14 @@
 <!--
 /*
 *******************************************************************************
-* Copyright (C) 2010-2013, International Business Machines Corporation and    *
+* Copyright (C) 2010-2014, International Business Machines Corporation and    *
 * others. All Rights Reserved.                                                *
 *******************************************************************************
 */
 -->
 
 <project name="icu4j-eclipse" default="build" basedir=".">
+  <property file="build-local.properties"/>
   <property file="build.properties"/>
 
   <property name="out.dir" value="out"/>
@@ -27,7 +28,7 @@
   </target>
 
   <target name="build"
-          depends="initEnv,icuProjectFiles,icuTestsProjectFiles,icuBaseProjectFiles,icuBaseTestsProjectFiles"
+          depends="checkProps,initEnv,icuProjectFiles,icuTestsProjectFiles,icuBaseProjectFiles,icuBaseTestsProjectFiles"
           description="Build icu4j plug-ins">
 
     <!-- copy OSGi jar file to baseLocation -->
@@ -50,6 +51,36 @@
 
   </target>
 
+  <target name="initEclipseHome"
+          if="env.ECLIPSE_HOME"
+          unless="eclipse.home"
+          description="Initialize the property eclipse.home from the environment variable ECLIPSE_HOME">
+    <property name="eclipse.home" value="${env.ECLIPSE_HOME}"/>
+  </target>
+
+  <target name="checkProps" depends="initEclipseHome">
+      <fail message="Eclipse home (eclipse.home or env.ECLIPSE_HOME) is not set">
+        <condition>
+          <or>
+            <equals arg1="${eclipse.home}" arg2=""/>
+            <not>
+              <isset property="eclipse.home"/>
+            </not>
+          </or>
+        </condition>
+      </fail>
+      <fail message="Java runtime jar path (java.rt) is not set">
+        <condition>
+          <or>
+            <equals arg1="${java.rt}" arg2=""/>
+            <not>
+              <isset property="java.rt"/>
+            </not>
+          </or>
+        </condition>
+      </fail>
+  </target>
+
   <target name="initPluginVersion">
     <tstamp>
       <format property="build.date" pattern="yyyyMMdd"/>
@@ -58,7 +89,7 @@
   </target>
 
   <target name="initEnv"
-          depends="initEclipseHome,initEclipseLauncher,initEclipseOSGiJar,initEclipsePDE"
+          depends="checkProps,initEclipseLauncher,initEclipseOSGiJar,initEclipsePDE"
           description="Initialize eclipse PDE build environment">
     <echo message="[PDE build configuration properties]"/>
     <echo message="    Eclipse home:    ${eclipse.home}"/>
@@ -69,13 +100,6 @@
     <echo message="    Base ARCH:       ${eclipse.basearch}"/>
   </target>
 
-  <target name="initEclipseHome"
-          if="env.ECLIPSE_HOME"
-          unless="eclipse.home"
-          description="Initialize the property eclipse.home from the environment variable ECLIPSE_HOME">
-    <property name="eclipse.home" value="${env.ECLIPSE_HOME}"/>
-  </target>
-
   <target name="initEclipseLauncher"
           if="eclipse.home"
           description="Locate org.eclipse.equinox.launcher jar file for eclipse 3.3 and beyond">
@@ -132,6 +156,7 @@
             <filter token="BASE_OS" value="${eclipse.baseos}"/>
             <filter token="BASE_WS" value="${eclipse.basews}"/>
             <filter token="BASE_ARCH" value="${eclipse.basearch}"/>
+            <filter token="JAVA_RT" value="${java.rt}"/>
           </filterset>
       </copy>
 
@@ -268,7 +293,6 @@
       <fileset dir="${icu4j.core-tests.dir}/src"/>
       <fileset dir="${icu4j.collate-tests.dir}/src"/>
       <fileset dir="${icu4j.translit-tests.dir}/src"/>
-      <fileset dir="${icu4j.testall.dir}/src"/>
     </copy>
 
     <!-- icu test data -->
diff --git a/icu4j/eclipse-build/pdebuild/build.properties b/icu4j/eclipse-build/pdebuild/build.properties
index e66e851613..a1b10843ce 100644
--- a/icu4j/eclipse-build/pdebuild/build.properties
+++ b/icu4j/eclipse-build/pdebuild/build.properties
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 ###############################################################################
-# Copyright (c) 2003-2013 IBM Corporation and others.
+# Copyright (c) 2003-2014 IBM Corporation and others.
 # All rights reserved. This program and the accompanying materials
 # are made available under the terms of the Eclipse Public License v1.0
 # which accompanies this distribution, and is available at
@@ -188,6 +188,7 @@ skipFetch=true
 #J2SE-1.3=
 #J2SE-1.4=
 #J2SE-1.5=
+J2SE-1.5=@JAVA_RT@
 #JavaSE-1.6=
 #PersonalJava-1.1=
 #PersonalJava-1.2=