diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 53864ca13c..6accd63f22 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -98,7 +98,9 @@ icu4c/source/extra/uconv/*.d
 icu4c/source/extra/uconv/Debug
 icu4c/source/extra/uconv/Makefile
 icu4c/source/extra/uconv/Release
+icu4c/source/extra/uconv/pkgdata.inc
 icu4c/source/extra/uconv/uconv
+icu4c/source/extra/uconv/uconv.1
 icu4c/source/extra/uconv/uconvmsg
 icu4c/source/extra/ustdio/*.d
 icu4c/source/extra/ustdio/Debug
diff --git a/icu4c/source/extra/uconv/.cvsignore b/icu4c/source/extra/uconv/.cvsignore
index 8d2cf1002d..cba7273a65 100644
--- a/icu4c/source/extra/uconv/.cvsignore
+++ b/icu4c/source/extra/uconv/.cvsignore
@@ -4,4 +4,5 @@ Debug
 Release
 Makefile
 uconvmsg
-
+uconv.1
+pkgdata.inc
diff --git a/icu4c/source/extra/uconv/Makefile.in b/icu4c/source/extra/uconv/Makefile.in
index 26125bd91e..964dbf1011 100644
--- a/icu4c/source/extra/uconv/Makefile.in
+++ b/icu4c/source/extra/uconv/Makefile.in
@@ -7,6 +7,10 @@
 ## Makefile.in for ICU - uconv
 ## Steven  R. Loomis
 
+## Set the following to 'YES' to statically link uconv's data.
+UCONVMSG_STATIC=YES
+##############################################################
+
 srcdir=@srcdir@
 top_srcdir=@top_srcdir@
 
@@ -14,14 +18,16 @@ top_builddir = ../..
 subdir = extra/uconv
 
 include $(top_builddir)/icudefs.mk
- 
+
+MSGNAME=uconvmsg
+
 ## Platform-specific setup
 include @platform_make_fragment@
 
 # RESSRC comes from resfiles.mk
 include $(srcdir)/resfiles.mk
 
-RESDIR=uconvmsg
+RESDIR=$(MSGNAME)
 RESFILES=$(RESSRC:%.txt=$(RESDIR)/%.res)
 
 ##
@@ -47,13 +53,20 @@ endif
 LDFLAGS = @LDFLAGS@ $(RPATHLDFLAGS)
 LIBS = $(LIBICUI18N) $(LIBICUUC) @LIBS@ @LIB_M@
 
+ifeq ($(UCONVMSG_STATIC),YES)
+LIBS += -L$(MSGNAME) -l$(MSGNAME)
+CPPFLAGS += -DUCONVMSG_STATIC=$(MSGNAME) -I$(RESDIR)
+UCONVMSG_LIB=$(RESDIR)/lib$(MSGNAME).a
+UCONVMSG_HDR=$(RESDIR)/$(MSGNAME).h
+endif
+
 OBJECTS = uconv.o uwmsg.o
 
 DEPS = $(OBJECTS:.o=.d)
 
 ## List of phony targets
 .PHONY : all all-local install install-local clean clean-local \
-distclean distclean-local dist dist-local check check-local resfiles package-resfiles install-resfiles install-man
+distclean resclean distclean-local dist dist-local check check-local resfiles package-resfiles install-resfiles install-man
 
 ## Clear suffix list
 .SUFFIXES :
@@ -76,9 +89,11 @@ install-target: all-local
 
 dist-local:
 
-clean-local:
+clean-local: resclean
 	test -z "$(CLEANFILES)" || $(RMV) $(CLEANFILES) $(RESFILES)
 	$(RMV) $(OBJECTS) $(TARGET)
+
+resclean:
 	$(RMV) $(RESDIR)
 
 distclean-local: clean-local
@@ -94,13 +109,20 @@ pkgdata.inc: $(srcdir)/pkgdata.inc.in  $(top_builddir)/config.status
 	cd $(top_builddir) \
 	 && CONFIG_FILES=$(subdir)/$@ CONFIG_HEADERS= $(SHELL) ./config.status
 
-$(TARGET) : $(OBJECTS)
-	$(LINK.cc) -o $@ $^ $(LIBS)
+$(TARGET) : $(OBJECTS) $(UCONVMSG_LIB)
+	$(LINK.cc) -o $@ $^ $(LIBS) $(LDFLAGS)
 
 resfiles: $(RESFILES) package-resfiles
 
+
+ifeq ($(UCONVMSG_STATIC),YES)
+$(UCONVMSG_HDR) $(UCONVMSG_LIB): resfiles
+uconv.o: $(UCONVMSG_HDR)
+endif
+
+
 package-resfiles: $(RESDIR)/$(RESDIR).lst pkgdata.inc
-	$(INVOKE) $(top_builddir)/tools/pkgdata/pkgdata -p $(RESDIR) -O pkgdata.inc -m common -d uconvmsg -T $(RESDIR) $(RESDIR)/$(RESDIR).lst
+	$(INVOKE) $(top_builddir)/tools/pkgdata/pkgdata -p $(RESDIR) -O pkgdata.inc -m static -d $(RESDIR) -T $(RESDIR) $(RESDIR)/$(RESDIR).lst
 
 $(RESDIR)/$(RESDIR).lst: Makefile pkgdata.inc $(srcdir)/resfiles.mk
 	@$(MKINSTALLDIRS) $(RESDIR)
@@ -109,9 +131,11 @@ $(RESDIR)/$(RESDIR).lst: Makefile pkgdata.inc $(srcdir)/resfiles.mk
 	  echo `pwd`/$$file >> $@; \
 	done;
 
+ifneq ($(UCONVMSG_STATIC),YES)
 install-resfiles: $(RESFILES)
 	$(MKINSTALLDIRS) $(DESTDIR)$(ICUDATA_DIR)
-	$(INVOKE) $(top_builddir)/tools/pkgdata/pkgdata -p $(RESDIR) -O pkgdata.inc -m common -d uconvmsg -I $(DESTDIR)$(ICUDATA_DIR) -T $(RESDIR) $(RESDIR)/$(RESDIR).lst
+	$(INVOKE) $(top_builddir)/tools/pkgdata/pkgdata -p $(RESDIR) -O pkgdata.inc -m static -d $(RESDIR) -I $(DESTDIR)$(ICUDATA_DIR) -T $(RESDIR) $(RESDIR)/$(RESDIR).lst
+endif
 
 $(RESDIR)/%.res: $(srcdir)/%.txt
 	@$(MKINSTALLDIRS) $(RESDIR)
diff --git a/icu4c/source/extra/uconv/pkgdata.inc.in b/icu4c/source/extra/uconv/pkgdata.inc.in
index db117bf22f..d349ab7b97 100644
--- a/icu4c/source/extra/uconv/pkgdata.inc.in
+++ b/icu4c/source/extra/uconv/pkgdata.inc.in
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ PACKAGE=@PACKAGE@
 VERSION=@VERSION@
 CC=@CC@
 CXX=@CXX@
+RANLIB=@RANLIB@
 
 INSTALL = @INSTALL@
 INSTALL_PROGRAM = @INSTALL_PROGRAM@
diff --git a/icu4c/source/extra/uconv/uconv.cpp b/icu4c/source/extra/uconv/uconv.cpp
index 30c0aa04ee..077c5da093 100644
--- a/icu4c/source/extra/uconv/uconv.cpp
+++ b/icu4c/source/extra/uconv/uconv.cpp
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 #include <string.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
 
+#include <unicode/utypes.h>
 #include <unicode/ucnv.h>
 #include <unicode/unistr.h>
 #include <unicode/translit.h>
@@ -37,6 +38,10 @@
 #include <fcntl.h>
 #endif
 
+#ifdef UCONVMSG_STATIC
+# include "uconvmsg.h"
+#endif
+
 #define DEFAULT_BUFSZ   4096
 
 static UResourceBundle *gBundle = 0;    /* Bundle containing messages. */
@@ -56,6 +61,17 @@ static void initMsg(const char *pname) {
 
         ps = 1;
 
+        /* Set up our static data - if any */
+#ifdef UCONVMSG_STATIC
+        udata_install_uconvmsg(&err);
+        if (U_FAILURE(err)) {
+          fprintf(stderr, "%s: warning, problem installing our static resource bundle data uconvmsg: %s - trying anyways.\n",
+                  pname, u_errorName(err));
+          err = U_ZERO_ERROR; /* It may still fail */
+        }
+#endif
+
+
         /* Get messages. */
 
         strcpy(dataPath, u_getDataDirectory());