diff --git a/icu4c/source/common/Makefile.in b/icu4c/source/common/Makefile.in
index 744faefedd..5679e0db3f 100644
--- a/icu4c/source/common/Makefile.in
+++ b/icu4c/source/common/Makefile.in
@@ -123,7 +123,9 @@ endif
 endif
 ifneq ($(IMPORT_LIB_EXT),)
 	$(INSTALL-L) $(FINAL_IMPORT_LIB) $(DESTDIR)$(libdir)
+ifneq ($(IMPORT_LIB),$(FINAL_IMPORT_LIB))
 	cd $(DESTDIR)$(libdir) && $(RM) $(notdir $(IMPORT_LIB)) && ln -s $(notdir $(FINAL_IMPORT_LIB)) $(notdir $(IMPORT_LIB))
+endif
 ifneq ($(MIDDLE_IMPORT_LIB),$(FINAL_IMPORT_LIB))
 	cd $(DESTDIR)$(libdir) && $(RM) $(notdir $(MIDDLE_IMPORT_LIB)) && ln -s $(notdir $(FINAL_IMPORT_LIB)) $(notdir $(MIDDLE_IMPORT_LIB))
 endif
diff --git a/icu4c/source/i18n/Makefile.in b/icu4c/source/i18n/Makefile.in
index c83bbca1c2..d7d998fb99 100644
--- a/icu4c/source/i18n/Makefile.in
+++ b/icu4c/source/i18n/Makefile.in
@@ -119,7 +119,9 @@ endif
 endif
 ifneq ($(IMPORT_LIB_EXT),)
 	$(INSTALL-L) $(FINAL_IMPORT_LIB) $(DESTDIR)$(libdir)
+ifneq ($(IMPORT_LIB),$(FINAL_IMPORT_LIB))
 	cd $(DESTDIR)$(libdir) && $(RM) $(notdir $(IMPORT_LIB)) && ln -s $(notdir $(FINAL_IMPORT_LIB)) $(notdir $(IMPORT_LIB))
+endif
 ifneq ($(MIDDLE_IMPORT_LIB),$(FINAL_IMPORT_LIB))
 	cd $(DESTDIR)$(libdir) && $(RM) $(notdir $(MIDDLE_IMPORT_LIB)) && ln -s $(notdir $(FINAL_IMPORT_LIB)) $(notdir $(MIDDLE_IMPORT_LIB))
 endif
diff --git a/icu4c/source/io/Makefile.in b/icu4c/source/io/Makefile.in
index 08c9ddbea7..5f7a42aa1d 100644
--- a/icu4c/source/io/Makefile.in
+++ b/icu4c/source/io/Makefile.in
@@ -101,7 +101,9 @@ endif
 endif
 ifneq ($(IMPORT_LIB_EXT),)
 	$(INSTALL-L) $(FINAL_IMPORT_LIB) $(DESTDIR)$(libdir)
+ifneq ($(IMPORT_LIB),$(FINAL_IMPORT_LIB))
 	cd $(DESTDIR)$(libdir) && $(RM) $(notdir $(IMPORT_LIB)) && ln -s $(notdir $(FINAL_IMPORT_LIB)) $(notdir $(IMPORT_LIB))
+endif
 ifneq ($(MIDDLE_IMPORT_LIB),$(FINAL_IMPORT_LIB))
 	cd $(DESTDIR)$(libdir) && $(RM) $(notdir $(MIDDLE_IMPORT_LIB)) && ln -s $(notdir $(FINAL_IMPORT_LIB)) $(notdir $(MIDDLE_IMPORT_LIB))
 endif
diff --git a/icu4c/source/layout/Makefile.in b/icu4c/source/layout/Makefile.in
index a27236e8a7..ad96f2fc4e 100644
--- a/icu4c/source/layout/Makefile.in
+++ b/icu4c/source/layout/Makefile.in
@@ -159,7 +159,9 @@ endif
 endif
 ifneq ($(IMPORT_LIB_EXT),)
 	$(INSTALL-L) $(FINAL_IMPORT_LIB) $(DESTDIR)$(libdir)
+ifneq ($(IMPORT_LIB),$(FINAL_IMPORT_LIB))
 	cd $(DESTDIR)$(libdir) && $(RM) $(notdir $(IMPORT_LIB)) && ln -s $(notdir $(FINAL_IMPORT_LIB)) $(notdir $(IMPORT_LIB))
+endif
 ifneq ($(MIDDLE_IMPORT_LIB),$(FINAL_IMPORT_LIB))
 	cd $(DESTDIR)$(libdir) && $(RM) $(notdir $(MIDDLE_IMPORT_LIB)) && ln -s $(notdir $(FINAL_IMPORT_LIB)) $(notdir $(MIDDLE_IMPORT_LIB))
 endif
diff --git a/icu4c/source/layoutex/Makefile.in b/icu4c/source/layoutex/Makefile.in
index 79826aa0ff..5f8c6faa8c 100644
--- a/icu4c/source/layoutex/Makefile.in
+++ b/icu4c/source/layoutex/Makefile.in
@@ -97,7 +97,9 @@ endif
 endif
 ifneq ($(IMPORT_LIB_EXT),)
 	$(INSTALL-L) $(FINAL_IMPORT_LIB) $(DESTDIR)$(libdir)
+ifneq ($(IMPORT_LIB),$(FINAL_IMPORT_LIB))
 	cd $(DESTDIR)$(libdir) && $(RM) $(notdir $(IMPORT_LIB)) && ln -s $(FINAL_IMPORT_LIB) $(notdir $(IMPORT_LIB))
+endif
 ifneq ($(MIDDLE_IMPORT_LIB),$(FINAL_IMPORT_LIB))
 	cd $(DESTDIR)$(libdir) && $(RM) $(notdir $(MIDDLE_IMPORT_LIB)) && ln -s $(notdir $(FINAL_IMPORT_LIB)) $(notdir $(MIDDLE_IMPORT_LIB))
 endif
diff --git a/icu4c/source/stubdata/Makefile.in b/icu4c/source/stubdata/Makefile.in
index 0ef8fe9c1c..b18b34af92 100644
--- a/icu4c/source/stubdata/Makefile.in
+++ b/icu4c/source/stubdata/Makefile.in
@@ -89,7 +89,9 @@ endif
 endif
 ifneq ($(IMPORT_LIB_EXT),)
 	$(INSTALL-L) $(FINAL_IMPORT_LIB) $(DESTDIR)$(libdir)
+ifneq ($(IMPORT_LIB),$(FINAL_IMPORT_LIB))
 	cd $(DESTDIR)$(libdir) && $(RM) $(notdir $(IMPORT_LIB)) && ln -s $(notdir $(FINAL_IMPORT_LIB)) $(notdir $(IMPORT_LIB))
+endif
 ifneq ($(MIDDLE_IMPORT_LIB),$(FINAL_IMPORT_LIB))
 	cd $(DESTDIR)$(libdir) && $(RM) $(notdir $(MIDDLE_IMPORT_LIB)) && ln -s $(notdir $(FINAL_IMPORT_LIB)) $(notdir $(MIDDLE_IMPORT_LIB))
 endif