diff --git a/icu4c/source/i18n/messageformat2_formatter.cpp b/icu4c/source/i18n/messageformat2_formatter.cpp
index 2d93d1368700..6fd383ebce22 100644
--- a/icu4c/source/i18n/messageformat2_formatter.cpp
+++ b/icu4c/source/i18n/messageformat2_formatter.cpp
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ namespace message2 {
 
     MessageFormatter::Builder&
         MessageFormatter::Builder::setErrorHandlingBehavior(
-           MessageFormatter::Builder::UMFErrorHandlingBehavior type) {
+           MessageFormatter::UMFErrorHandlingBehavior type) {
                switch (type) {
                case U_MF_STRICT: {
                    signalErrors = true;
diff --git a/icu4c/source/i18n/unicode/messageformat2.h b/icu4c/source/i18n/unicode/messageformat2.h
index f52d50188280..bfbb8b5750ce 100644
--- a/icu4c/source/i18n/unicode/messageformat2.h
+++ b/icu4c/source/i18n/unicode/messageformat2.h
@@ -139,6 +139,31 @@ namespace message2 {
          */
         const MFDataModel& getDataModel() const;
 
+        /**
+         * Used in conjunction with the
+         * MessageFormatter::Builder::`setErrorHandlingBehavior()` method.
+         *
+         * @internal ICU 76 technology preview
+         * @deprecated This API is for technology preview only.
+         */
+        typedef enum UMFErrorHandlingBehavior {
+            /**
+             * Suppress errors and return best-effort output.
+             *
+             * @internal ICU 76 technology preview
+             * @deprecated This API is for technology preview only.
+             */
+            U_MF_BEST_EFFORT = 0,
+            /**
+             * Signal all MessageFormat errors using the UErrorCode
+             * argument.
+             *
+             * @internal ICU 76 technology preview
+             * @deprecated This API is for technology preview only.
+             */
+            U_MF_STRICT
+        } UMFErrorHandlingBehavior;
+
         /**
          * The mutable Builder class allows each part of the MessageFormatter to be initialized
          * separately; calling its `build()` method yields an immutable MessageFormatter.
@@ -171,29 +196,6 @@ namespace message2 {
 
             void clearState();
         public:
-            /**
-             * Used in conjunction with the `setErrorHandlingBehavior()` method.
-             *
-             * @internal ICU 76 technology preview
-             * @deprecated This API is for technology preview only.
-             */
-            typedef enum UMFErrorHandlingBehavior {
-                /**
-                 * Suppress errors and return best-effort output.
-                 *
-                 * @internal ICU 76 technology preview
-                 * @deprecated This API is for technology preview only.
-                 */
-                U_MF_BEST_EFFORT = 0,
-                /**
-                 * Signal all MessageFormat errors using the UErrorCode
-                 * argument.
-                 *
-                 * @internal ICU 76 technology preview
-                 * @deprecated This API is for technology preview only.
-                 */
-                U_MF_STRICT
-            } UMFErrorHandlingBehavior;
             /**
              * Sets the locale to use for formatting.
              *
diff --git a/icu4c/source/test/intltest/messageformat2test.cpp b/icu4c/source/test/intltest/messageformat2test.cpp
index ace1bc548a5d..7b49cf56a1d8 100644
--- a/icu4c/source/test/intltest/messageformat2test.cpp
+++ b/icu4c/source/test/intltest/messageformat2test.cpp
@@ -75,21 +75,21 @@ void TestMessageFormat2::testFormatterAPI() {
     // if there's a syntax error
     UnicodeString pattern = "{{}";
     MessageFormatter::Builder mfBuilder(errorCode);
-    mfBuilder.setErrorHandlingBehavior(MessageFormatter::Builder::U_MF_BEST_EFFORT); // This shouldn't matter, since there's a syntax error
+    mfBuilder.setErrorHandlingBehavior(MessageFormatter::U_MF_BEST_EFFORT); // This shouldn't matter, since there's a syntax error
     mfBuilder.setPattern(pattern, parseError, errorCode);
     MessageFormatter mf = mfBuilder.build(errorCode);
     U_ASSERT(errorCode == U_MF_SYNTAX_ERROR);
 
 /*
   Parsing is done when setPattern() is called,
-  so setErrorHandlingBehavior(MessageFormatter::Builder::U_MF_STRICT) or setSuppressErrors must be called
+  so setErrorHandlingBehavior(MessageFormatter::U_MF_STRICT) or setSuppressErrors must be called
   _before_ setPattern() to get the right behavior,
   and if either method is called after setting a pattern,
   setPattern() has to be called again.
 */
     // Should get the same behavior with strict errors
     errorCode.reset();
-    mfBuilder.setErrorHandlingBehavior(MessageFormatter::Builder::U_MF_STRICT);
+    mfBuilder.setErrorHandlingBehavior(MessageFormatter::U_MF_STRICT);
     // Force re-parsing, as above comment
     mfBuilder.setPattern(pattern, parseError, errorCode);
     mf = mfBuilder.build(errorCode);
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ void TestMessageFormat2::testFormatterAPI() {
     pattern = "{{{$x}}}";
     errorCode.reset();
     // Check that a pattern with a resolution error gives fallback output
-    mfBuilder.setErrorHandlingBehavior(MessageFormatter::Builder::U_MF_BEST_EFFORT);
+    mfBuilder.setErrorHandlingBehavior(MessageFormatter::U_MF_BEST_EFFORT);
     mfBuilder.setPattern(pattern, parseError, errorCode);
     mf = mfBuilder.build(errorCode);
     U_ASSERT(U_SUCCESS(errorCode));
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ void TestMessageFormat2::testFormatterAPI() {
     U_ASSERT(result == "{$x}");
 
     // Check that we do get an error with strict errors
-    mfBuilder.setErrorHandlingBehavior(MessageFormatter::Builder::U_MF_STRICT);
+    mfBuilder.setErrorHandlingBehavior(MessageFormatter::U_MF_STRICT);
     mf = mfBuilder.build(errorCode);
     U_ASSERT(U_SUCCESS(errorCode));
     result = mf.formatToString(MessageArguments(), errorCode);
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ void TestMessageFormat2::testFormatterAPI() {
     errorCode.reset();
     pattern = "hello";
     mfBuilder.setPattern(pattern, parseError, errorCode);
-    mfBuilder.setErrorHandlingBehavior(MessageFormatter::Builder::U_MF_BEST_EFFORT);
+    mfBuilder.setErrorHandlingBehavior(MessageFormatter::U_MF_BEST_EFFORT);
     mf = mfBuilder.build(errorCode);
     U_ASSERT(U_SUCCESS(errorCode));
     result = mf.formatToString(MessageArguments(), errorCode);
@@ -126,7 +126,7 @@ void TestMessageFormat2::testFormatterAPI() {
     U_ASSERT(result == "hello");
 
     // Check that behavior is the same with strict errors
-    mfBuilder.setErrorHandlingBehavior(MessageFormatter::Builder::U_MF_STRICT);
+    mfBuilder.setErrorHandlingBehavior(MessageFormatter::U_MF_STRICT);
     mf = mfBuilder.build(errorCode);
     U_ASSERT(U_SUCCESS(errorCode));
     result = mf.formatToString(MessageArguments(), errorCode);
@@ -286,7 +286,7 @@ void TestMessageFormat2::testAPICustomFunctions() {
     MessageFormatter::Builder mfBuilder(errorCode);
     UnicodeString result;
     // This fails, because we did not provide a function registry:
-    MessageFormatter mf = mfBuilder.setErrorHandlingBehavior(MessageFormatter::Builder::U_MF_STRICT)
+    MessageFormatter mf = mfBuilder.setErrorHandlingBehavior(MessageFormatter::U_MF_STRICT)
                                    .setPattern("Hello {$name :person formality=informal}",
                                                parseError, errorCode)
                                    .setLocale(locale)
diff --git a/icu4c/source/test/intltest/messageformat2test_utils.h b/icu4c/source/test/intltest/messageformat2test_utils.h
index 8ced63372090..c4ad251c7f48 100644
--- a/icu4c/source/test/intltest/messageformat2test_utils.h
+++ b/icu4c/source/test/intltest/messageformat2test_utils.h
@@ -230,7 +230,7 @@ class TestUtils {
         }
         // Initially, set error behavior to strict.
         // We'll re-run to check for errors.
-        mfBuilder.setErrorHandlingBehavior(MessageFormatter::Builder::U_MF_STRICT);
+        mfBuilder.setErrorHandlingBehavior(MessageFormatter::U_MF_STRICT);
 	MessageFormatter mf = mfBuilder.build(errorCode);
         UnicodeString result;
 
@@ -279,7 +279,7 @@ class TestUtils {
             // Re-run the formatter if there was an error,
             // in order to get best-effort output
             errorCode.reset();
-            mfBuilder.setErrorHandlingBehavior(MessageFormatter::Builder::U_MF_BEST_EFFORT);
+            mfBuilder.setErrorHandlingBehavior(MessageFormatter::U_MF_BEST_EFFORT);
             mf = mfBuilder.build(errorCode);
             if (U_SUCCESS(errorCode)) {
                 result = mf.formatToString(MessageArguments(testCase.getArguments(), errorCode), errorCode);