diff --git a/package/icu/icu.mk b/package/icu/icu.mk
index 208229d713..0312fac0a1 100644
--- a/package/icu/icu.mk
+++ b/package/icu/icu.mk
@@ -26,9 +26,11 @@ ICU_MAKE = $(MAKE1)
 ICU_SUBDIR = source
 HOST_ICU_SUBDIR = source
 
-ifneq ($(BR2_PACKAGE_ICU_CUSTOM_DATA_PATH),)
+ICU_CUSTOM_DATA_PATH = $(call qstrip,$(BR2_PACKAGE_ICU_CUSTOM_DATA_PATH))
+
+ifneq ($(ICU_CUSTOM_DATA_PATH),)
 define ICU_COPY_CUSTOM_DATA
-	cp $(BR2_PACKAGE_ICU_CUSTOM_DATA_PATH) $(@D)/source/data/in/
+	cp $(ICU_CUSTOM_DATA_PATH) $(@D)/source/data/in/
 endef
 ICU_POST_PATCH_HOOKS += ICU_COPY_CUSTOM_DATA
 endif