diff --git a/icu4c/source/configure.ac b/icu4c/source/configure.ac
index 8ffacf8795a9..8a9aa091564f 100644
--- a/icu4c/source/configure.ac
+++ b/icu4c/source/configure.ac
@@ -1103,6 +1103,21 @@ If set, it will REPLACE any automatic list of libraries.],
 		*) AC_MSG_ERROR(bad value ${enableval} for --enable-samples) ;;
 		esac],
 	samples=true)
+
+# Enable Automake-compatible test output format
+AC_ARG_ENABLE([automake-test-format],
+    AS_HELP_STRING([--enable-automake-test-format],
+                   [Generate test output in Automake format (PASS / FAIL: testname) ]),
+    [
+        if test "x$enableval" = "xyes"; then
+            UCONFIG_CPPFLAGS="${UCONFIG_CPPFLAGS} -DU_AUTOMAKE_TEST_FORMAT=1"
+            AC_MSG_RESULT([Automake test format is enabled])
+        else
+            AC_MSG_RESULT([Automake test format is disabled])
+        fi
+    ],
+    [enable_automake_test_format=no])
+
 ICU_CONDITIONAL(SAMPLES, test "$samples" = true)
 
 ICUDATA_CHAR=$U_ENDIAN_CHAR
@@ -1366,3 +1381,5 @@ then
 fi
 
 $as_unset _CXX_CXXSUFFIX
+
+
diff --git a/icu4c/source/test/intltest/intltest.cpp b/icu4c/source/test/intltest/intltest.cpp
index a856715837e8..75a6c686b064 100644
--- a/icu4c/source/test/intltest/intltest.cpp
+++ b/icu4c/source/test/intltest/intltest.cpp
@@ -824,11 +824,19 @@ UBool IntlTest::runTestLoop( char* testname, char* par, char *baseName )
             saveBaseLoc[0]=0; /* reset path */
             
             if (lastErrorCount == errorCount) {
-                snprintf( msg, sizeof(msg),  "   } OK:   %s ", name );
+            #ifdef U_AUTOMAKE_TEST_FORMAT
+                snprintf(msg, sizeof(msg), "PASS: %s\n   }", name);
+            #else
+                snprintf(msg, sizeof(msg),  "   } OK:   %s ", name );
+            #endif
                 if(!no_time) str_timeDelta(msg+strlen(msg),timeStop-timeStart);
                 lastTestFailed = false;
             }else{
+            #ifdef U_AUTOMAKE_TEST_FORMAT
+                snprintf(msg, sizeof(msg), "FAIL: %s\n   } (ERRORS: %li)", name, static_cast<long>(errorCount - lastErrorCount));
+            #else
                 snprintf(msg, sizeof(msg), "   } ERRORS (%li) in %s", static_cast<long>(errorCount - lastErrorCount), name);
+            #endif
                 if(!no_time) str_timeDelta(msg+strlen(msg),timeStop-timeStart);
 
                 for(int i=0;i<LL_indentlevel;i++) {
diff --git a/icu4c/source/tools/ctestfw/ctest.c b/icu4c/source/tools/ctestfw/ctest.c
index 7634526ad4e5..a4536ecf5654 100644
--- a/icu4c/source/tools/ctestfw/ctest.c
+++ b/icu4c/source/tools/ctestfw/ctest.c
@@ -413,9 +413,16 @@ static void iterateTestsWithLevel ( const TestNode* root,
         ctest_xml_testcase(pathToFunction, pathToFunction, timeSeconds, (myERROR_COUNT!=ERROR_COUNT)?"error":NULL);
 
         if (myERROR_COUNT != ERROR_COUNT) {
-          log_testinfo_i("} ---[%d ERRORS in %s] ", ERROR_COUNT - myERROR_COUNT, pathToFunction);
+        #ifdef U_AUTOMAKE_TEST_FORMAT
+          log_testinfo_i("\nFAIL: %s\n} ---[ERRORS: %d]", root->name,ERROR_COUNT - myERROR_COUNT);
+        #else
+          log_testinfo_i("} ---[%d ERRORS in %s] ", ERROR_COUNT - myERROR_COUNT,pathToFunction);
+        #endif
           strcpy(ERROR_LOG[ERRONEOUS_FUNCTION_COUNT++], pathToFunction);
         } else {
+        #ifdef U_AUTOMAKE_TEST_FORMAT
+          log_testinfo_i("\nPASS: %s\n", root->name);
+        #endif
           if(!ON_LINE) { /* had some output */
             int spaces = FLAG_INDENT-(depth-1);
             log_testinfo_i("} %*s[OK] ", spaces, "---");