diff --git a/icu4c/source/config/mh-aix-va b/icu4c/source/config/mh-aix-va
index df3b66fda9..286546389f 100644
--- a/icu4c/source/config/mh-aix-va
+++ b/icu4c/source/config/mh-aix-va
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 ## Copyright (c) 1999-2003, International Business Machines Corporation and
 ## others. All Rights Reserved.
 ##
-## $Id: mh-aix-va,v 1.30 2003/12/18 23:14:12 emader-oss Exp $
+## $Id: mh-aix-va,v 1.31 2004/01/08 22:54:22 grhoten-oss Exp $
 
 ## Commands to generate dependency files
 GEN_DEPS.c=	$(CC) -E -M $(DEFS) $(CPPFLAGS)
@@ -15,7 +15,8 @@ GEN_DEPS.cc=	$(CXX) -E -M $(DEFS) $(CPPFLAGS)
 CFLAGS += -qproto -qroconst
 CXXFLAGS += -qproto -qroconst
 
-LDFLAGS += -brtl
+# If you readd this line, you must change the SO value
+#LDFLAGS += -brtl
 
 ## We need to delete things prior to linking, or else we'll get
 ## SEVERE ERROR: output file in use ..  on AIX. 
@@ -57,7 +58,9 @@ SO_TARGET_VERSION_SUFFIX = $(SO_TARGET_VERSION_MAJOR)
 LD_SONAME = 
 
 ## Shared object suffix
-SO=		so
+#SO=	so
+# without the -brtl option, the library names use .a. AIX is funny that way.
+SO=	a
 ## Non-shared intermediate object suffix
 STATIC_O = o