diff --git a/icu4c/source/i18n/measunit_extra.cpp b/icu4c/source/i18n/measunit_extra.cpp
index 676ff88..6c82ffb 100644
--- a/icu4c/source/i18n/measunit_extra.cpp
+++ b/icu4c/source/i18n/measunit_extra.cpp
@@ -955,10 +955,6 @@
     return gSimpleUnitCategories[index];
 }
 
-MeasureUnitImpl::MeasureUnitImpl(const MeasureUnitImpl &other, UErrorCode &status) {
-    *this = other.copy(status);
-}
-
 MeasureUnitImpl::MeasureUnitImpl(const SingleUnitImpl &singleUnit, UErrorCode &status) {
     this->appendSingleUnit(singleUnit, status);
 }
@@ -1040,12 +1036,12 @@
     MaybeStackVector<MeasureUnitImplWithIndex> result;
 
     if (this->complexity != UMeasureUnitComplexity::UMEASURE_UNIT_MIXED) {
-        result.emplaceBackAndCheckErrorCode(status, 0, new MeasureUnitImpl(*this, status));
+        result.emplaceBackAndCheckErrorCode(status, 0, *this, status);
         return result;
     }
 
     for (int32_t i = 0; i < singleUnits.length(); ++i) {
-        result.emplaceBackAndCheckErrorCode(status, i, new MeasureUnitImpl(*singleUnits[i], status));
+        result.emplaceBackAndCheckErrorCode(status, i, *singleUnits[i], status);
         if (U_FAILURE(status)) {
             return result;
         }
diff --git a/icu4c/source/i18n/measunit_impl.h b/icu4c/source/i18n/measunit_impl.h
index 6c5a5ac..f88d900 100644
--- a/icu4c/source/i18n/measunit_impl.h
+++ b/icu4c/source/i18n/measunit_impl.h
@@ -39,14 +39,6 @@
 static const char16_t kDefaultCurrency[] = u"XXX";
 static const char kDefaultCurrency8[] = "XXX";
 
-struct U_I18N_API MeasureUnitImplWithIndex : public UMemory {
-    const int32_t index;
-    LocalPointer<MeasureUnitImpl> unitImpl;
-    // Takes ownership of unitImpl.
-    MeasureUnitImplWithIndex(int32_t index, MeasureUnitImpl *unitImpl)
-        : index(index), unitImpl(unitImpl) {}
-};
-
 /**
  * Looks up the "unitQuantity" (aka "type" or "category") of a base unit
  * identifier. The category is returned via `result`, which must initially be
@@ -192,6 +184,9 @@
     int32_t dimensionality = 1;
 };
 
+// Forward declaration
+struct MeasureUnitImplWithIndex;
+
 // Export explicit template instantiations of MaybeStackArray, MemoryPool and
 // MaybeStackVector. This is required when building DLLs for Windows. (See
 // datefmt.h, collationiterator.h, erarules.h and others for similar examples.)
@@ -212,7 +207,8 @@
   public:
     MeasureUnitImpl() = default;
     MeasureUnitImpl(MeasureUnitImpl &&other) = default;
-    MeasureUnitImpl(const MeasureUnitImpl &other, UErrorCode &status);
+    // No copy constructor, use MeasureUnitImpl::copy() to make it explicit.
+    MeasureUnitImpl(const MeasureUnitImpl &other, UErrorCode &status) = delete;
     MeasureUnitImpl(const SingleUnitImpl &singleUnit, UErrorCode &status);
 
     MeasureUnitImpl &operator=(MeasureUnitImpl &&other) noexcept = default;
@@ -322,6 +318,18 @@
     friend class number::impl::LongNameHandler;
 };
 
+struct U_I18N_API MeasureUnitImplWithIndex : public UMemory {
+    const int32_t index;
+    MeasureUnitImpl unitImpl;
+    // Makes a copy of unitImpl.
+    MeasureUnitImplWithIndex(int32_t index, const MeasureUnitImpl &unitImpl, UErrorCode &status)
+        : index(index), unitImpl(unitImpl.copy(status)) {
+    }
+    MeasureUnitImplWithIndex(int32_t index, const SingleUnitImpl &singleUnitImpl, UErrorCode &status)
+        : index(index), unitImpl(MeasureUnitImpl(singleUnitImpl, status)) {
+    }
+};
+
 U_NAMESPACE_END
 
 #endif /* #if !UCONFIG_NO_FORMATTING */
diff --git a/icu4c/source/i18n/units_complexconverter.cpp b/icu4c/source/i18n/units_complexconverter.cpp
index 8ecb1b3..89a60e4 100644
--- a/icu4c/source/i18n/units_complexconverter.cpp
+++ b/icu4c/source/i18n/units_complexconverter.cpp
@@ -31,11 +31,11 @@
     U_ASSERT(units_.length() != 0);
 
     // Just borrowing a pointer to the instance
-    MeasureUnitImpl *biggestUnit = units_[0]->unitImpl.getAlias();
+    MeasureUnitImpl *biggestUnit = &units_[0]->unitImpl;
     for (int32_t i = 1; i < units_.length(); i++) {
-        if (UnitsConverter::compareTwoUnits(*units_[i]->unitImpl, *biggestUnit, ratesInfo, status) > 0 &&
+        if (UnitsConverter::compareTwoUnits(units_[i]->unitImpl, *biggestUnit, ratesInfo, status) > 0 &&
             U_SUCCESS(status)) {
-            biggestUnit = units_[i]->unitImpl.getAlias();
+            biggestUnit = &units_[i]->unitImpl;
         }
 
         if (U_FAILURE(status)) {
@@ -85,10 +85,10 @@
         const auto *rightPointer = static_cast<const MeasureUnitImplWithIndex *const *>(right);
 
         // Multiply by -1 to sort in descending order
-        return (-1) * UnitsConverter::compareTwoUnits(*((**leftPointer).unitImpl) /* left unit*/,     //
-                                                     *((**rightPointer).unitImpl) /* right unit */,  //
-                                                     *static_cast<const ConversionRates *>(context), //
-                                                     status);
+        return (-1) * UnitsConverter::compareTwoUnits((**leftPointer).unitImpl,                       //
+                                                      (**rightPointer).unitImpl,                      //
+                                                      *static_cast<const ConversionRates *>(context), //
+                                                      status);
     };
 
     uprv_sortArray(units_.getAlias(),                                                                  //
@@ -116,11 +116,11 @@
     //              3. then, the final result will be (6 feet and 6.74016 inches)
     for (int i = 0, n = units_.length(); i < n; i++) {
         if (i == 0) { // first element
-            unitsConverters_.emplaceBackAndCheckErrorCode(status, inputUnit, *(units_[i]->unitImpl),
-                                                         ratesInfo, status);
+            unitsConverters_.emplaceBackAndCheckErrorCode(status, inputUnit, units_[i]->unitImpl,
+                                                          ratesInfo, status);
         } else {
-            unitsConverters_.emplaceBackAndCheckErrorCode(status, *(units_[i - 1]->unitImpl),
-                                                         *(units_[i]->unitImpl), ratesInfo, status);
+            unitsConverters_.emplaceBackAndCheckErrorCode(status, units_[i - 1]->unitImpl,
+                                                          units_[i]->unitImpl, ratesInfo, status);
         }
 
         if (U_FAILURE(status)) {
@@ -200,12 +200,12 @@
         if (i < n - 1) {
             Formattable formattableQuantity(intValues[i] * sign);
             // Measure takes ownership of the MeasureUnit*
-            MeasureUnit *type = new MeasureUnit(units_[i]->unitImpl->copy(status).build(status));
+            MeasureUnit *type = new MeasureUnit(units_[i]->unitImpl.copy(status).build(status));
             tmpResult[units_[i]->index] = new Measure(formattableQuantity, type, status);
         } else { // LAST ELEMENT
             Formattable formattableQuantity(quantity * sign);
             // Measure takes ownership of the MeasureUnit*
-            MeasureUnit *type = new MeasureUnit(units_[i]->unitImpl->copy(status).build(status));
+            MeasureUnit *type = new MeasureUnit(units_[i]->unitImpl.copy(status).build(status));
             tmpResult[units_[i]->index] = new Measure(formattableQuantity, type, status);
         }
     }