diff --git a/starboard/client_porting/icu_init/icu_init.cc b/starboard/client_porting/icu_init/icu_init.cc
index 35cf08ddd0eb..d2fca9df3bc1 100644
--- a/starboard/client_porting/icu_init/icu_init.cc
+++ b/starboard/client_porting/icu_init/icu_init.cc
@@ -33,24 +33,12 @@ namespace {
 // Once control for initializing ICU.
 pthread_once_t g_initialization_once = PTHREAD_ONCE_INIT;
 
-// Initializes ICU and TimeZones so the rest of the functions will work. Should
-// only be called once.
+// Should only be called once.
 void Initialize() {
-  // Minimal Initialization of ICU.
-  std::vector<char> base_path(kSbFileMaxPath);
-  bool result = SbSystemGetPath(kSbSystemPathContentDirectory, base_path.data(),
-                                base_path.size());
-  SB_DCHECK(result);
-
-  std::string data_path(base_path.data());
-  data_path += kSbFileSepString;
-  data_path += "icu";
-
-  // set this as the data directory.
-  u_setDataDirectory(data_path.c_str());
-
   UErrorCode err = U_ZERO_ERROR;
-  udata_setFileAccess(UDATA_PACKAGES_FIRST, &err);
+
+  // ICU data is linked into the binary.
+  udata_setFileAccess(UDATA_NO_FILES, &err);
   SB_DCHECK(err <= U_ZERO_ERROR);
 }
 
diff --git a/starboard/client_porting/icu_init/icu_init.h b/starboard/client_porting/icu_init/icu_init.h
index 40553a19435a..bdc7856c162b 100644
--- a/starboard/client_porting/icu_init/icu_init.h
+++ b/starboard/client_porting/icu_init/icu_init.h
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
 
 #if defined(STARBOARD)
 
-// Initializes ICU using a standard path based on the Starboard content path.
+// Does minimal initialization of ICU.
 // This function must be threadsafe and idempotent. Applications that wish to
 // initialize ICU differently may define their own IcuInit function rather
 // than using the implementation here.
diff --git a/third_party/icu/source/common/udata.cpp b/third_party/icu/source/common/udata.cpp
index e7cea1b7f8a0..f2bd38c81081 100644
--- a/third_party/icu/source/common/udata.cpp
+++ b/third_party/icu/source/common/udata.cpp
@@ -1367,6 +1367,11 @@ doOpenChoice(const char *path, const char *type, const char *name,
     /* Load from DLL.  If we haven't attempted package load, we also haven't had any chance to
         try a DLL (static or setCommonData/etc)  load.
          If we ever have a "UDATA_ONLY_FILES", add it to the or list here.  */  
+#if defined(STARBOARD)
+    /* To clarify, Cobalt links the common ICU package into the Cobalt binary.
+        So while this code path is followed, the data is not really loaded from
+        a DLL.  */
+#endif  // defined(STARBOARD)
     if(gDataFileAccess==UDATA_NO_FILES) {
 #ifdef UDATA_DEBUG
         fprintf(stderr, "Trying common data (UDATA_NO_FILES)\n");