diff -ur icu.org/source/config/mh-cygwin-msvc icu/source/config/mh-cygwin-msvc
--- icu.org/source/config/mh-cygwin-msvc	2017-01-23 01:38:28.000000000 +0100
+++ icu/source/config/mh-cygwin-msvc	2017-04-21 23:07:28.482892025 +0200
@@ -55,8 +55,8 @@
 LDFLAGS+=-nologo
 
 # Commands to compile
-COMPILE.c=	$(CC) $(CPPFLAGS) $(DEFS) $(CFLAGS) -c
-COMPILE.cc=	$(CXX) $(CPPFLAGS) $(DEFS) $(CXXFLAGS) -c
+COMPILE.c=	true && $(CC) $(CPPFLAGS) $(DEFS) $(CFLAGS) -c
+COMPILE.cc=	true && $(CXX) $(CPPFLAGS) $(DEFS) $(CXXFLAGS) -c
 
 # Commands to link
 LINK.c=		LINK.EXE -subsystem:console $(LDFLAGS)
diff -ur icu.org/source/runConfigureICU icu/source/runConfigureICU
--- icu.org/source/runConfigureICU	2017-01-23 01:38:28.000000000 +0100
+++ icu/source/runConfigureICU	2017-04-21 23:07:28.482892025 +0200
@@ -261,8 +261,8 @@
     Cygwin/MSVC)
         THE_OS="Windows with Cygwin"
         THE_COMP="Microsoft Visual C++"
-        CC=cl; export CC
-        CXX=cl; export CXX
+        CC=${CC-cl}; export CC
+        CXX=${CXX-cl}; export CXX
         RELEASE_CFLAGS='-Gy -MD'
         RELEASE_CXXFLAGS='-Gy -MD'
         DEBUG_CFLAGS='-Zi -MDd'