diff --git a/package/icu/icu.mk b/package/icu/icu.mk
index 2c04c3c775..c5d0c3eefb 100644
--- a/package/icu/icu.mk
+++ b/package/icu/icu.mk
@@ -50,6 +50,17 @@ HOST_ICU_CONF_OPTS = \
 ICU_SUBDIR = source
 HOST_ICU_SUBDIR = source
 
+# ICU build scripting adds paths to LD_LIBRARY_PATH using
+#   LD_LIBRARY_PATH="custom-path:${LD_LIBRARY_PATH}"
+# which, if LD_LIBRARY_PATH was empty, causes the last search directory
+# to be the working directory, causing the build to try to load target
+# libraries, possibly crashing the build due to ABI mismatches.
+# Workaround by ensuring LD_LIBRARY_PATH is never empty.
+# https://unicode-org.atlassian.net/browse/ICU-21417
+ifeq ($(LD_LIBRARY_PATH),)
+ICU_MAKE_ENV += LD_LIBRARY_PATH=/dev/null
+endif
+
 ICU_CUSTOM_DATA_PATH = $(call qstrip,$(BR2_PACKAGE_ICU_CUSTOM_DATA_PATH))
 
 ifneq ($(ICU_CUSTOM_DATA_PATH),)