diff --git a/icu4c/source/i18n/dtptngen.cpp b/icu4c/source/i18n/dtptngen.cpp
index d7b60d34c451..63b9b707b151 100644
--- a/icu4c/source/i18n/dtptngen.cpp
+++ b/icu4c/source/i18n/dtptngen.cpp
@@ -756,6 +756,7 @@ void
 DateTimePatternGenerator::getCalendarTypeToUse(const Locale& locale, CharString& destination, UErrorCode& err) {
     destination.clear().append(DT_DateTimeGregorianTag, -1, err); // initial default
     if ( U_SUCCESS(err) ) {
+        UErrorCode localStatus = U_ZERO_ERROR;
         char localeWithCalendarKey[ULOC_LOCALE_IDENTIFIER_CAPACITY];
         // obtain a locale that always has the calendar key value that should be used
         ures_getFunctionalEquivalent(
@@ -767,8 +768,7 @@ DateTimePatternGenerator::getCalendarTypeToUse(const Locale& locale, CharString&
             locale.getName(),
             nullptr,
             FALSE,
-            &err);
-        if (U_FAILURE(err)) { return; }
+            &localStatus);
         localeWithCalendarKey[ULOC_LOCALE_IDENTIFIER_CAPACITY-1] = 0; // ensure null termination
         // now get the calendar key value from that locale
         char calendarType[ULOC_KEYWORDS_CAPACITY];
@@ -777,13 +777,17 @@ DateTimePatternGenerator::getCalendarTypeToUse(const Locale& locale, CharString&
             "calendar",
             calendarType,
             ULOC_KEYWORDS_CAPACITY,
-            &err);
-        if (U_FAILURE(err)) { return; }
+            &localStatus);
+        // If the input locale was invalid, don't fail with missing resource error, instead
+        // continue with default of Gregorian.
+        if (U_FAILURE(localStatus) && localStatus != U_MISSING_RESOURCE_ERROR) {
+            err = localStatus;
+            return;
+        }
         if (calendarTypeLen < ULOC_KEYWORDS_CAPACITY) {
             destination.clear().append(calendarType, -1, err);
             if (U_FAILURE(err)) { return; }
         }
-        err = U_ZERO_ERROR;
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/icu4c/source/test/intltest/dtptngts.cpp b/icu4c/source/test/intltest/dtptngts.cpp
index f21856821f8c..e4bd9777e968 100644
--- a/icu4c/source/test/intltest/dtptngts.cpp
+++ b/icu4c/source/test/intltest/dtptngts.cpp
@@ -20,9 +20,9 @@
 #include "unicode/dtptngen.h"
 #include "unicode/ustring.h"
 #include "cmemory.h"
+#include "cstring.h"
 #include "loctest.h"
 
-
 // This is an API test, not a unit test.  It doesn't test very many cases, and doesn't
 // try to test the full functionality.  It just calls each function in the class and
 // verifies that it works on a basic level.
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ void IntlTestDateTimePatternGeneratorAPI::runIndexedTest( int32_t index, UBool e
         TESTCASE(4, testC);
         TESTCASE(5, testSkeletonsWithDayPeriods);
         TESTCASE(6, testGetFieldDisplayNames);
+        TESTCASE(7, testFallbackWithDefaultRootLocale);
         default: name = ""; break;
     }
 }
@@ -1259,4 +1260,31 @@ void IntlTestDateTimePatternGeneratorAPI::testGetFieldDisplayNames() {
     }
 }
 
+void IntlTestDateTimePatternGeneratorAPI::testFallbackWithDefaultRootLocale() {
+    UErrorCode status = U_ZERO_ERROR;
+    char original[ULOC_FULLNAME_CAPACITY];
+    
+    uprv_strcpy(original, uloc_getDefault());
+    uloc_setDefault("root", &status);
+    if (U_FAILURE(status)) {
+        errln("ERROR: Failed to change the default locale to root! Default is: %s\n", uloc_getDefault());
+    }
+ 
+    DateTimePatternGenerator* dtpg = icu::DateTimePatternGenerator::createInstance("abcdedf", status);
+
+    if (U_FAILURE(status)) {
+        errln("ERROR: expected createInstance with invalid locale to succeed. Status: %s", u_errorName(status));
+    }
+    if (status != U_USING_DEFAULT_WARNING) {
+        errln("ERROR: expected createInstance to return U_USING_DEFAULT_WARNING for invalid locale and default root locale. Status: %s", u_errorName(status));
+    }
+
+    delete dtpg;
+
+    uloc_setDefault(original, &status);
+    if (U_FAILURE(status)) {
+        errln("ERROR: Failed to change the default locale back to %s\n", original);
+    }
+}
+
 #endif /* #if !UCONFIG_NO_FORMATTING */
diff --git a/icu4c/source/test/intltest/dtptngts.h b/icu4c/source/test/intltest/dtptngts.h
index adef0dca5cf6..6e4f9c5bf930 100644
--- a/icu4c/source/test/intltest/dtptngts.h
+++ b/icu4c/source/test/intltest/dtptngts.h
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ class IntlTestDateTimePatternGeneratorAPI : public IntlTest {
     void testC();
     void testSkeletonsWithDayPeriods();
     void testGetFieldDisplayNames();
+    void testFallbackWithDefaultRootLocale();
 };
 
 #endif /* #if !UCONFIG_NO_FORMATTING */