diff --git a/icu4c/source/i18n/plurrule.cpp b/icu4c/source/i18n/plurrule.cpp
index 5a265a79c4..65f733181c 100644
--- a/icu4c/source/i18n/plurrule.cpp
+++ b/icu4c/source/i18n/plurrule.cpp
@@ -50,8 +50,6 @@ static const UChar PK_WITHIN[]={LOW_W,LOW_I,LOW_T,LOW_H,LOW_I,LOW_N,0};
 UOBJECT_DEFINE_RTTI_IMPLEMENTATION(PluralRules)
 UOBJECT_DEFINE_RTTI_IMPLEMENTATION(PluralKeywordEnumeration)
 
-const double PluralRules::NO_UNIQUE_VALUE = -0.00123456777;
-
 PluralRules::PluralRules(UErrorCode& status)
 :   UObject(),
     mRules(NULL),
@@ -210,7 +208,7 @@ PluralRules::getUniqueKeywordValue(const UnicodeString& keyword) {
   double val;
   UErrorCode status = U_ZERO_ERROR;
   int32_t count = getSamplesInternal(keyword, &val, 1, FALSE, status);
-  return count == 1 ? val : NO_UNIQUE_VALUE;
+  return count == 1 ? val : UPLRULES_NO_UNIQUE_VALUE;
 }
 
 int32_t
diff --git a/icu4c/source/i18n/unicode/plurrule.h b/icu4c/source/i18n/unicode/plurrule.h
index c0a5dace81..6504806e75 100644
--- a/icu4c/source/i18n/unicode/plurrule.h
+++ b/icu4c/source/i18n/unicode/plurrule.h
@@ -27,6 +27,13 @@
 
 #include "unicode/format.h"
 
+/**
+ * Value returned by PluralRules::getUniqueKeywordValue() when there is no
+ * unique value to return.
+ * draft ICU 4.8
+ */
+#define UPLRULES_NO_UNIQUE_VALUE ((double)-0.00123456777)
+
 U_NAMESPACE_BEGIN
 
 class Hashtable;
@@ -221,20 +228,13 @@ public:
      */
     StringEnumeration* getKeywords(UErrorCode& status) const;
 
-    /**
-     * Value returned by getUniqueKeywordValue when there is no
-     * unique value to return.
-     * draft ICU 4.8
-     */
-    static const double NO_UNIQUE_VALUE;
-
     /**
      * Returns a unique value for this keyword if it exists, else the constant
-     * NO_UNIQUE_VALUE.
+     * UPLRULES_NO_UNIQUE_VALUE.
      *
      * @param keyword The keyword.
      * @return        The unique value that generates the keyword, or
-     *                NO_UNIQUE_VALUE if the keyword is undefined or there is no
+     *                UPLRULES_NO_UNIQUE_VALUE if the keyword is undefined or there is no
      *                unique value that generates this keyword.
      * @draft ICU 4.8
      */
diff --git a/icu4c/source/test/intltest/plurults.cpp b/icu4c/source/test/intltest/plurults.cpp
index b74188d503..e20d75f70d 100644
--- a/icu4c/source/test/intltest/plurults.cpp
+++ b/icu4c/source/test/intltest/plurults.cpp
@@ -358,16 +358,16 @@ void PluralRulesTest::testGetUniqueKeywordValue() {
   assertRuleValue("n is 1", 1);
   assertRuleValue("n in 2..2", 2);
   assertRuleValue("n within 2..2", 2);
-  assertRuleValue("n in 3..4", PluralRules::NO_UNIQUE_VALUE);
-  assertRuleValue("n within 3..4", PluralRules::NO_UNIQUE_VALUE);
+  assertRuleValue("n in 3..4", UPLRULES_NO_UNIQUE_VALUE);
+  assertRuleValue("n within 3..4", UPLRULES_NO_UNIQUE_VALUE);
   assertRuleValue("n is 2 or n is 2", 2);
   assertRuleValue("n is 2 and n is 2", 2);
-  assertRuleValue("n is 2 or n is 3", PluralRules::NO_UNIQUE_VALUE);
-  assertRuleValue("n is 2 and n is 3", PluralRules::NO_UNIQUE_VALUE);
-  assertRuleValue("n is 2 or n in 2..3", PluralRules::NO_UNIQUE_VALUE);
+  assertRuleValue("n is 2 or n is 3", UPLRULES_NO_UNIQUE_VALUE);
+  assertRuleValue("n is 2 and n is 3", UPLRULES_NO_UNIQUE_VALUE);
+  assertRuleValue("n is 2 or n in 2..3", UPLRULES_NO_UNIQUE_VALUE);
   assertRuleValue("n is 2 and n in 2..3", 2);
-  assertRuleKeyValue("a: n is 1", "not_defined", PluralRules::NO_UNIQUE_VALUE); // key not defined
-  assertRuleKeyValue("a: n is 1", "other", PluralRules::NO_UNIQUE_VALUE); // key matches default rule
+  assertRuleKeyValue("a: n is 1", "not_defined", UPLRULES_NO_UNIQUE_VALUE); // key not defined
+  assertRuleKeyValue("a: n is 1", "other", UPLRULES_NO_UNIQUE_VALUE); // key matches default rule
 }
 
 void PluralRulesTest::testGetSamples() {
@@ -402,7 +402,7 @@ void PluralRulesTest::testGetSamples() {
         count = 4;
       }
       for (int32_t j = 0; j < count; ++j) {
-        if (values[j] == PluralRules::NO_UNIQUE_VALUE) {
+        if (values[j] == UPLRULES_NO_UNIQUE_VALUE) {
           errln("got 'no unique value' among values");
         } else {
           UnicodeString resultKeyword = rules->select(values[j]);