diff --git a/.ci-builds/.azure-pipelines.yml b/.ci-builds/.azure-pipelines-icu4c.yml
similarity index 97%
rename from .ci-builds/.azure-pipelines.yml
rename to .ci-builds/.azure-pipelines-icu4c.yml
index ebcbe731916d..a1f1829dea33 100644
--- a/.ci-builds/.azure-pipelines.yml
+++ b/.ci-builds/.azure-pipelines-icu4c.yml
@@ -1,31 +1,16 @@
 # Azure Pipelines (VSTS) configuration for CI builds for ICU.
 
+trigger:
+  paths:
+    include:
+    - icu4c/*
+
+
 variables:
   MAVEN_ARGS: '--show-version --no-transfer-progress'
 
 jobs:
 #-------------------------------------------------------------------------
-- job: ICU4J_OpenJDK_Ubuntu_2204
-  displayName: 'J: Linux OpenJDK (Ubuntu 22.04)'
-  timeoutInMinutes: 20
-  pool:
-    vmImage: 'ubuntu-22.04'
-    demands: ant
-  steps:
-    - checkout: self
-      lfs: true
-      fetchDepth: 10
-    - script: |
-        echo "Building ICU4J" && cd icu4j && mvn install
-      displayName: 'Build and Test'
-      env:
-        BUILD: ICU4J
-    # exit with a non-zero status in order to make this step show as a red X in the UI.
-    - script: |
-        cd icu4j && cat `find . -name surefire-reports -type d -exec grep -l  -r --include="*.txt" FAILED {} \;` && exit 1
-      condition: failed() # only run if the build fails.
-      displayName: 'List failures (if any)'
-#-------------------------------------------------------------------------
 - job: ICU4C_Clang_Ubuntu_2204
   displayName: 'C: Linux Clang (Ubuntu 22.04)'
   timeoutInMinutes: 30
diff --git a/.ci-builds/.azure-pipelines-icu4j.yml b/.ci-builds/.azure-pipelines-icu4j.yml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..7221898fd32e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.ci-builds/.azure-pipelines-icu4j.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+# Azure Pipelines (VSTS) configuration for CI builds for ICU.
+
+trigger:
+  paths:
+    include:
+    - icu4j/*
+
+variables:
+  MAVEN_ARGS: '--show-version --no-transfer-progress'
+
+jobs:
+#-------------------------------------------------------------------------
+- job: ICU4J_OpenJDK_Ubuntu_2204
+  displayName: 'J: Linux OpenJDK (Ubuntu 22.04)'
+  timeoutInMinutes: 20
+  pool:
+    vmImage: 'ubuntu-22.04'
+    demands: ant
+  steps:
+    - checkout: self
+      lfs: true
+      fetchDepth: 10
+    - script: |
+        echo "Building ICU4J" && cd icu4j && mvn install
+      displayName: 'Build and Test'
+      env:
+        BUILD: ICU4J
+    # exit with a non-zero status in order to make this step show as a red X in the UI.
+    - script: |
+        cd icu4j && cat `find . -name surefire-reports -type d -exec grep -l  -r --include="*.txt" FAILED {} \;` && exit 1
+      condition: failed() # only run if the build fails.
+      displayName: 'List failures (if any)'