diff --git a/icu4c/source/data/makedata.mak b/icu4c/source/data/makedata.mak
index 06384d555f..7f6b5dc843 100644
--- a/icu4c/source/data/makedata.mak
+++ b/icu4c/source/data/makedata.mak
@@ -234,7 +234,7 @@ ALL : GODATA "$(DLL_OUTPUT)\$(U_ICUDATA_NAME).dll" "$(TESTDATAOUT)\testdata.dat"
 #
 #  Break iterator data files.
 #
-BRK_FILES = "$(ICUBLD)\$(ICUDT)sent.brk" "$(ICUBLD)\$(ICUDT)char.brk" "$(ICUBLD)\$(ICUDT)line.brk" "$(ICUBLD)\$(ICUDT)word.brk" "$(ICUBLD)\$(ICUDT)title.brk" "$(ICUBLD)\$(ICUDT)line_th.brk" "$(ICUBLD)\$(ICUDT)word_th.brk"
+BRK_FILES = $(ICUDT)sent.brk $(ICUDT)char.brk $(ICUDT)line.brk $(ICUDT)word.brk $(ICUDT)title.brk $(ICUDT)line_th.brk $(ICUDT)word_th.brk
 
 #invoke pkgdata for ICU common data
 #  pkgdata will drop all output files (.dat, .dll, .lib) into the target (ICUBLD) directory.
@@ -245,20 +245,20 @@ BRK_FILES = "$(ICUBLD)\$(ICUDT)sent.brk" "$(ICUBLD)\$(ICUDT)char.brk" "$(ICUBLD)
 	@echo Building icu data
 	@cd "$(ICUBLD)"
  	@"$(ICUTOOLS)\pkgdata\$(CFG)\pkgdata" -f -e $(U_ICUDATA_NAME) -v -m dll -c -p $(ICUPKG) -O "$(PKGOPT)" -d "$(ICUBLD)" -s . <<pkgdatain.txt
-$(ICUDT)uprops.icu
-$(ICUDT)unames.icu
-$(ICUDT)pnames.icu
 $(ICUDT)unorm.icu
-$(ICUDT)cnvalias.icu
-$(ICUDT)tz.icu
+$(ICUDT)uprops.icu
+$(ICUDT)pnames.icu
+$(ICUDT)unames.icu
 $(ICUDT)ucadata.icu
 $(ICUDT)invuca.icu
 $(ICUDT)uidna.icu
+$(ICUDT)tz.icu
+$(ICUDT)cnvalias.icu
 $(CNV_FILES:.cnv =.cnv
 )
 $(ALL_RES:.res =.res
 )
-$(BRK_FILES:.brk" =.brk"
+$(BRK_FILES:.brk =.brk
 )
 <<KEEP
 	copy "$(ICUPKG).dll" "$(DLL_OUTPUT)"
@@ -274,26 +274,26 @@ $(BRK_FILES:.brk" =.brk"
 
 BRKDEPS = "$(ICUBLD)\$(ICUDT)uprops.icu" "$(ICUBLD)\$(ICUDT)unames.icu" "$(ICUBLD)\$(ICUDT)pnames.icu" "$(ICUBLD)\$(ICUDT)unorm.icu"
 
-"$(ICUBLD)\$(ICUDT)char.brk" : "$(ICUBRK)\char.txt" $(BRKDEPS)
-	genbrk -r "$(ICUBRK)\char.txt" -o "$(ICUBLD)\$(ICUDT)char.brk" -i "$(ICUBLD)\\"
+$(ICUDT)char.brk : "$(ICUBRK)\char.txt" $(BRKDEPS)
+	genbrk -r "$(ICUBRK)\char.txt" -o $@ -d"$(ICUBLD)" -i "$(ICUBLD)\\"
 
-"$(ICUBLD)\$(ICUDT)word.brk" : "$(ICUBRK)\word.txt" $(BRKDEPS)
-	genbrk -r "$(ICUBRK)\word.txt" -o "$(ICUBLD)\$(ICUDT)word.brk" -i "$(ICUBLD)\\"
+$(ICUDT)word.brk : "$(ICUBRK)\word.txt" $(BRKDEPS)
+	genbrk -r "$(ICUBRK)\word.txt" -o $@ -d"$(ICUBLD)" -i "$(ICUBLD)\\"
 
-"$(ICUBLD)\$(ICUDT)line.brk" : "$(ICUBRK)\line.txt" $(BRKDEPS)
-	genbrk -r "$(ICUBRK)\line.txt" -o "$(ICUBLD)\$(ICUDT)line.brk" -i "$(ICUBLD)\\"
+$(ICUDT)line.brk : "$(ICUBRK)\line.txt" $(BRKDEPS)
+	genbrk -r "$(ICUBRK)\line.txt" -o $@ -d"$(ICUBLD)" -i "$(ICUBLD)\\"
 
-"$(ICUBLD)\$(ICUDT)sent.brk" : "$(ICUBRK)\sent.txt" $(BRKDEPS)
-	genbrk -r "$(ICUBRK)\sent.txt" -o "$(ICUBLD)\$(ICUDT)sent.brk" -i "$(ICUBLD)\\"
+$(ICUDT)sent.brk : "$(ICUBRK)\sent.txt" $(BRKDEPS)
+	genbrk -r "$(ICUBRK)\sent.txt" -o $@ -d"$(ICUBLD)" -i "$(ICUBLD)\\"
 
-"$(ICUBLD)\$(ICUDT)title.brk" : "$(ICUBRK)\title.txt" $(BRKDEPS)
-	genbrk -r "$(ICUBRK)\title.txt" -o "$(ICUBLD)\$(ICUDT)title.brk" -i "$(ICUBLD)\\"
+$(ICUDT)title.brk : "$(ICUBRK)\title.txt" $(BRKDEPS)
+	genbrk -r "$(ICUBRK)\title.txt" -o $@ -d"$(ICUBLD)" -i "$(ICUBLD)\\"
 
-"$(ICUBLD)\$(ICUDT)word_th.brk" : "$(ICUBRK)\word_th.txt" $(BRKDEPS)
-	genbrk -r "$(ICUBRK)\word_th.txt" -o "$(ICUBLD)\$(ICUDT)word_th.brk" -i "$(ICUBLD)\\"
+$(ICUDT)word_th.brk : "$(ICUBRK)\word_th.txt" $(BRKDEPS)
+	genbrk -r "$(ICUBRK)\word_th.txt" -o $@ -d"$(ICUBLD)" -i "$(ICUBLD)\\"
 
-"$(ICUBLD)\$(ICUDT)line_th.brk" : "$(ICUBRK)\line_th.txt" $(BRKDEPS)
-	genbrk -r "$(ICUBRK)\line_th.txt" -o "$(ICUBLD)\$(ICUDT)line_th.brk" -i "$(ICUBLD)\\"
+$(ICUDT)line_th.brk : "$(ICUBRK)\line_th.txt" $(BRKDEPS)
+	genbrk -r "$(ICUBRK)\line_th.txt" -o $@ -d"$(ICUBLD)" -i "$(ICUBLD)\\"
 
 
 # utility target to send us to the right dir
@@ -340,8 +340,7 @@ CLEAN : GODATA
 	@echo Making Transliterator Resource Bundle files
 	@"$(ICUTOOLS)\genrb\$(CFG)\genrb" -k -t -p"$(ICUPKG)" -d"$(ICUBLD)" $<
 
-# Inference rule for creating resource bundle files
-{$(ICUSRCDATA_RELATIVE_PATH)\$(ICULOC)}.txt.res::
+$(INDEX_RES_FILES):
 	@echo Generating <<res_index.txt
 // Warning this file is automatically generated
 res_index {
@@ -351,8 +350,12 @@ res_index {
     }
 }
 <<KEEP
-	echo Making Locale Resource Bundle files
-	@"$(ICUTOOLS)\genrb\$(CFG)\genrb" -k -t -p"$(ICUPKG)" -d"$(ICUBLD)" .\res_index.txt $<
+	@"$(ICUTOOLS)\genrb\$(CFG)\genrb" -k -t -p"$(ICUPKG)" -d"$(ICUBLD)" .\res_index.txt
+
+# Inference rule for creating resource bundle files
+{$(ICUSRCDATA_RELATIVE_PATH)\$(ICULOC)}.txt.res::
+	@echo Making Locale Resource Bundle files
+	@"$(ICUTOOLS)\genrb\$(CFG)\genrb" -k -t -p"$(ICUPKG)" -d"$(ICUBLD)" $<
 
 # DLL version information
 "$(ICUBLD)\$(ICUDT)icudata.res": "$(ICUMISC)\icudata.rc"
@@ -410,5 +413,5 @@ res_index {
 
 $(UCM_SOURCE) : {"$(ICUTOOLS)\makeconv\$(CFG)"}makeconv.exe
 
-$(TRANSLIT_SOURCE) $(GENRB_SOURCE) $(ICUDT)root.res : {"$(ICUTOOLS)\genrb\$(CFG)"}genrb.exe $(ICUDT)ucadata.icu $(ICUDT)uprops.icu $(ICUDT)unorm.icu
+$(TRANSLIT_SOURCE) $(GENRB_SOURCE) "$(ICUBLD)\$(ICUDT)root.res" : {"$(ICUTOOLS)\genrb\$(CFG)"}genrb.exe "$(ICUBLD)\$(ICUDT)ucadata.icu" "$(ICUBLD)\$(ICUDT)uprops.icu" "$(ICUBLD)\$(ICUDT)unorm.icu"
 
diff --git a/icu4c/source/tools/genbrk/genbrk.cpp b/icu4c/source/tools/genbrk/genbrk.cpp
index f9ebc24645..552797c9a6 100644
--- a/icu4c/source/tools/genbrk/genbrk.cpp
+++ b/icu4c/source/tools/genbrk/genbrk.cpp
@@ -51,7 +51,8 @@ static UOption options[]={
     UOPTION_VERBOSE,            /* 2 */
     { "rules", NULL, NULL, NULL, 'r', UOPT_REQUIRES_ARG, 0 },   /* 3 */
     { "out",   NULL, NULL, NULL, 'o', UOPT_REQUIRES_ARG, 0 },   /* 4 */
-    UOPTION_ICUDATADIR          /* 5 */
+    UOPTION_ICUDATADIR,         /* 5 */
+    UOPTION_DESTDIR             /* 6 */
 };
 
 void usageAndDie(int retCode) {
@@ -111,6 +112,9 @@ int  main(int argc, char **argv) {
     UErrorCode  status = U_ZERO_ERROR;
     const char *ruleFileName;
     const char *outFileName;
+    const char *outDir = NULL;
+    char *outFullFileName;
+    int32_t outFullFileNameLen;
 
     //
     // Pick up and check the command line arguments,
@@ -136,11 +140,25 @@ int  main(int argc, char **argv) {
     }
     ruleFileName = options[3].value;
     outFileName  = options[4].value;
+    outFullFileNameLen = strlen(outFileName);
 
     if (options[5].doesOccur) {
         u_setDataDirectory(options[5].value);
     }
 
+    /* Combine the directory with the file name */
+    if(options[6].doesOccur) {
+        outDir = options[6].value;
+        outFullFileNameLen += strlen(outDir);
+    }
+    outFullFileName = (char*)malloc(outFullFileNameLen + 2);
+    outFullFileName[0] = 0;
+    if (outDir) {
+        strcpy(outFullFileName, outDir);
+        strcat(outFullFileName, U_FILE_SEP_STRING);
+    }
+    strcat(outFullFileName, outFileName);
+
 #if UCONFIG_NO_BREAK_ITERATION
 
     UNewDataMemory *pData;
@@ -292,9 +310,9 @@ int  main(int argc, char **argv) {
     //  Create the output file
     //
     size_t bytesWritten;
-    file = fopen(outFileName, "wb");
+    file = fopen(outFullFileName, "wb");
     if (file == 0) {
-        fprintf(stderr, "Could not open output file \"%s\"\n", outFileName);
+        fprintf(stderr, "Could not open output file \"%s\"\n", outFullFileName);
         exit(-1);
     }
 
@@ -305,7 +323,7 @@ int  main(int argc, char **argv) {
     //
     bytesWritten = fwrite(outData, 1, outDataSize, file);
     if (bytesWritten != outDataSize) {
-        fprintf(stderr, "Error writing to output file \"%s\"\n", outFileName);
+        fprintf(stderr, "Error writing to output file \"%s\"\n", outFullFileName);
         exit(-1);
     }
 
@@ -313,6 +331,7 @@ int  main(int argc, char **argv) {
     delete bi;
     delete[] ruleSourceU;
     delete[] ruleBufferC;
+    free(outFullFileName);
     u_cleanup();