diff --git a/icu4j/src/com/ibm/icu/dev/test/util/ULocaleTest.java b/icu4j/src/com/ibm/icu/dev/test/util/ULocaleTest.java
index 8fbe03f23d..80435deb3e 100644
--- a/icu4j/src/com/ibm/icu/dev/test/util/ULocaleTest.java
+++ b/icu4j/src/com/ibm/icu/dev/test/util/ULocaleTest.java
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 /*
 **********************************************************************
-* Copyright (c) 2004-2008, International Business Machines
+* Copyright (c) 2004-2009, International Business Machines
 * Corporation and others.  All Rights Reserved.
 **********************************************************************
 * Author: Alan Liu
@@ -231,10 +231,23 @@ public class ULocaleTest extends TestFmwk {
         Locale.setDefault(backupDefault);
 
         // Set default via ULocale
-        ULocale.setDefault(new ULocale("ja_JP@calendar=japanese"));
+        ULocale ujaJP_calJP = new ULocale("ja_JP@calendar=japanese");
+        ULocale.setDefault(ujaJP_calJP);
         if (!Locale.getDefault().equals(jaJPJP)) {
             errln("FAIL: ULocale#setDefault failed to set Java Locale ja_JP_JP /actual: " + Locale.getDefault());
         }
+        // Ticket#6672 - missing keywords
+        defUloc = ULocale.getDefault();
+        if (!defUloc.equals(ujaJP_calJP)) {
+            errln("FAIL: ULocale#getDefault returned " + defUloc + " /expected: ja_JP@calendar=japanese");
+        }
+        // Set a incompatible base locale via Locale#setDefault
+        Locale.setDefault(Locale.US);
+        defUloc = ULocale.getDefault();
+        if (defUloc.equals(ujaJP_calJP)) {
+            errln("FAIL: ULocale#getDefault returned " + defUloc + " /expected: " + ULocale.forLocale(Locale.US));
+        }
+
         Locale.setDefault(backupDefault);
 
         // We also want to map ICU locale ja@calendar=japanese to Java ja_JP_JP
diff --git a/icu4j/src/com/ibm/icu/util/ULocale.java b/icu4j/src/com/ibm/icu/util/ULocale.java
index dd7becf9dd..d174f3da7f 100644
--- a/icu4j/src/com/ibm/icu/util/ULocale.java
+++ b/icu4j/src/com/ibm/icu/util/ULocale.java
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 /*
 ******************************************************************************
-* Copyright (C) 2003-2008, International Business Machines Corporation and   *
+* Copyright (C) 2003-2009, International Business Machines Corporation and   *
 * others. All Rights Reserved.                                               *
 ******************************************************************************
 */
@@ -918,7 +918,7 @@ public final class ULocale implements Serializable {
     public static ULocale getDefault() {
         synchronized (ULocale.class) {
             Locale currentDefault = Locale.getDefault();
-            if (defaultLocale != currentDefault) {
+            if (!defaultLocale.equals(currentDefault)) {
                 defaultLocale = currentDefault;
                 defaultULocale = new ULocale(defaultLocale);
             }